Muna Dandan

Muna Dandan joined the DFSA in 2015. As General Counsel and Secretary to the Board, she is the primary legal advisor to the Board of Directors, responsible for advising the Board and its various committees on governance and legal matters. Ms Dandan also oversees the Board Secretariat function, ensuring the effective management of the affairs of the Board and its committees.

Ms Dandan is a member of the DFSA’s Executive Committee, supporting the Chief Executive in managing the DFSA’s operations and driving the implementation of the strategy set by the Board, for the DFSA to meet its statutory objectives. As General Counsel, she provides legal advice and support across all aspects of the DFSA’s operations to assist the DFSA to navigate legal complexities and implement strategies to mitigate legal risk. Her responsibilities further extend to the oversight of the DFSA’s governance systems and controls.

Previously, she headed the DFSA’s Regulatory Legal Affairs Division, where she was responsible for providing legal advice and support for the DFSA’s regulatory functions, as well as drafting the administrative laws and rules forming the DFSA’s regulatory framework.

Prior to joining the DFSA, Ms Dandan spent five years as Head of Legal for the corporate and retail banking businesses of Barclays Bank PLC across the Middle East. Before that, she served as Senior Legal Advisor for HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, advising on all aspects of HSBC’s operations across the Middle East and North Africa, including their corporate, commercial, private wealth, retail, and investment banking business lines.

Ms Dandan holds a UK law degree and is qualified to practice law in England and Wales, as well as in Hong Kong. Prior to returning to her Middle Eastern roots, Ms Dandan spent over a decade with international law firms in both London and Hong Kong, advising large financial institutions and global corporations on complex legal matters.