Gerard Rahman

Gerard Rahman is one of the governing partners of BDO UAE and contributes his extensive leadership experience to the strategic direction, governance, and sustainable expansion of BDO Legal UAE. With a proven track record in professional services leadership, Gerard plays an advisory and oversight role that strengthens BDO Legal’s foundation for long-term compliance, client service excellence, and sustainable development aligned with the firm’s vision.
 
Gerard has previously served as CEO of BDO UAE, Head of Assurance Services, and International Liaison Partner (ILP), where he led the firm through a significant generational transition and has also served as Middle East Regional Coordinator, reporting to the CEO of BDO International, with responsibility for regional development and risk management, and was a key member of the BDO Global Quality Assurance Review team, overseeing quality standards, due diligence, and network admissions across the Middle East.
 
As one of the first participants to be nominated and complete the BDO Global Partner Leadership Programme, Gerard led initiatives for accelerating international business across BDO member firms across Europe, Middle East and Africa and the development of infrastructure and new service lines across the Middle East, North Africa, and the Indian Subcontinent.
 
Gerard served on the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Members Advisory Committee and attended Governance courses at the Kennedy School of Government (now Harvard Kennedy School). He has experience in the West Indies, supporting the Senate of Trinidad and Tobago in debate, and in the United Kingdom, preparing companies for listing on the stock exchange. In New Zealand, Gerard served in a governance role in a major property development company as well as the Executive Director of Strategy, Improvement and Performance of a national charity involved in their governance review
 
At BDO Legal UAE, Gerard’s role is to reinforce the firm’s governance structure, ensure strategic alignment with BDO’s global standards, and support the development of a principle led, forward-looking legal consultancy practice. His deep experience empowers BDO Legal to serve its clients with confidence, regulatory assurance, and trusted leadership across complex and evolving markets.