Contact

Stephen Downs
www.linkedin.com/in/stephen- Head of UAE Central Visits Team at British Embassy UAE
downs-a9234b7 (LinkedIn) United Arab Emirates

Top Skills Summary

Microsoft PowerPoint
Highly skilled Civil Servant with 30 years’ experience within
Administration
Welsh Government and British Embassy Abu Dhabi. Acting
Team Leadership
with loyalty, honesty and integrity as per Civil Service core
Certifications values, I am dedicated, reliable and hardworking. Confident and
effective when working on my own or as part of a team with strong
Level 5 Certificate in Leadership &
Management Skills interpersonal and relationship management skills. Seeking new
opportunities within the region to use my wide experience to
contribute meaningfully to government organisations.

British Embassy Highlights

Head of UAE Central Visits Team – September 2021 – present

• Built a regional visits team, capable of facilitating multiple high-
profile visits to the region during Expo 2020
• Head of Post Expo Legacy Team
• Maximising wider UAE engagement to showcase developments in
the region
• Successfully led over 40 visits of UK ministers and senior
government officials including VVIPs

Entry Clearance Officer, UKVI - March 2017 to March 2018

• Providing high quality, efficient and non-discriminatory visa
application processing.
• Assessing and resolving visa applications within agreed
benchmarks, justifying decisions both orally and in writing
• Meeting challenging daily workload targets and high level decision
making

I joined the Welsh Office in Cardiff in May 1991 where I grew my

career as a well -respected and loyal Civil Servant, working across
a variety of departments and teams throughout my career. In August
2016 I moved to Abu Dhabi with my family to enable my wife to
establish herself as a Vice-Principal in a local school.

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Welsh Government Highlights

Deputy Business Manager May 2016 to August 2016

• Supported the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local
Government
• Advisor for meetings, correspondence and managing appropriate
and timely responses
• Responsible for writing cross departmental briefings
• Reviewing and streamlining processes across operational teams

Business Information Manager September 2010 to May 2016

• Supported Information Asset Owners across central departments
• Successfully managed 3rd party Assurance Campaigns
• Responsible for quality assurance risk returns to the Senior
Information Risk Officer
• Managed FOIs for central departments and prepared ministerial
briefing advice for the appropriate disclosure of information

Retail Buyer Cadw Heritage 2000-2010

• Responsible for budget of £0.5 million managing 27 retail outlets at
Welsh Heritage sites
• Exceeded annual retail growth targets through skilled management
of large retail team
• Led on the operational roll out of new visitor centers and retail
outlets

Experience
British Embassy UAE
Head of UAE Central Visits Team
September 2021 - Present (1 year 9 months)
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

British Embassy Abu Dhabi

Visits & Political Officer
August 2019 - September 2021 (2 years 2 months)
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

British Embassy, Abu Dhabi

Regional Secretariat
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March 2017 - August 2019 (2 years 6 months)
United Arab Emirates

Welsh Government
Business Information Manager
September 2010 - July 2016 (5 years 11 months)
Career break

Welsh Government
Retail Buyer - Cadw
July 2005 - January 2010 (4 years 7 months)

Education
St Davids College - Cardiff
· (1987 - 1989)

St Cadocs

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