Saeed Faisal Badri

Strategic Event Leadership & Business Alignment

• Involved in the end-to-end planning and execution of Expo City Dubai's flagship public events, cultural activations, and B2B engagements, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.
• Developed and managed event roadmaps, ensuring integration with marketing, sales, and stakeholder engagement strategies.

Financial Oversight, Budgeting & Vendor Management

• Managed multi-million-dirham budgets across annual event programs, from initial forecasting and planning to real-time cost tracking and post-event financial reconciliation.
• Created and implemented financial control mechanisms to ensure transparent budget utilization, cost control, and forecasting accuracy across all event operations.
• Developed revenue models and rate card structures for venue rentals and event services, supporting sales enablement and MICE-led business growth.
• Led milestone payment tracking and financial compliance for all contractual deliverables tied to vendor agreements and external stakeholders.
• Collaborated with internal Finance teams to generate detailed financial performance reports and contribute to organizational budget planning cycles.
• Directed end-to-end procurement process for event services, including RFP creation, vendor evaluation, contract negotiation, and award finalization in line with Expo’s procurement policies.
• Managed a portfolio of over 30+ strategic vendor partnerships, ensuring service delivery excellence, budget adherence, and continuous improvement in operational KPIs.
• Oversaw the implementation of vendor SLAs, compliance checks, insurance requirements, and risk mitigation protocols throughout the vendor lifecycle.
• Implemented structured vendor performance reviews and renegotiated commercial terms based on financial performance and delivery quality.
• Worked closely with Procurement and Legal to ensure proper documentation, audit readiness, and governance on all vendor engagements.

Operational Excellence & Compliance

• Developed internal procurement policies, budget authorization matrices, and cost estimation templates to enhance operational transparency and financial discipline.
• Acted as department lead for all audit reviews, ensuring full traceability of financial approvals, vendor payments, and procurement records.
• Implemented tools and dashboards to monitor cost per event, financial ROI, and vendor performance, driving data-driven decision-making across the department.
• Ensured adherence to Expo City Dubai’s procurement framework, financial controls, and budgetary policies in all event-related spending and contracts.

Conducted commercial evaluations for procurement and project requirements ranging from USD 500,000 to USD 75 million, ensuring cost-effectiveness and alignment with strategic objectives.

Led the harmonization and integration of all contractual agreements between DUBAL and EMAL following the post-merger consolidation.

Successfully renegotiated major vendor contracts to optimize value and leverage combined purchasing power post-merger.

Developed detailed budget forecasts to support annual financial planning and operational efficiency.

Performed in-depth cost analysis and financial reviews to identify savings opportunities and improve spend management.

Managed the end-to-end accounts payable process, ensuring timely and accurate vendor payments in compliance with internal controls.

Worked as a member of the Transaction Advisory Services team, delivering strategic financial and commercial support across various client engagements.

Conducted comprehensive due diligence for mergers, acquisitions, and investment opportunities, identifying risks and validating financial assumptions.

Performed company valuations using industry-standard methodologies to support investment decisions and negotiations.

Delivered detailed market research and competitive analysis to inform client strategies and assess market entry potential.

Developed feasibility studies and business plans for startups and new ventures, providing financial projections, operational models, and go-to-market strategies.