Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Hafees Aboobakkar

Digital & Web Experience Leader.

Making higher education findable in search. quotable by AI. measurable end to end. ready for enrolment.

16+ years running university websites, admissions platforms and digital marketing across the whole student journey, from first enquiry to enrolment.

AI search GEO preview

Who is Hafees Aboobakkar?

Hafees Aboobakkar is a digital and web experience leader based in Dubai, UAE.

He has 16+ years in higher education and works at Middlesex University Dubai.

He took the whole university website to top-10 Google rankings and grew organic search.

His expertise covers technical SEO, GEO, paid media, GA4 and Power BI.

Sources linkedin.com/in/hafees-aboobakkar this website
Years in higher education
16+
AI & data certifications
7
Workplace awards
9
LinkedIn recommendations
10
Technical SEO GEO Schema markup GA4 Power BI HubSpot React Next.js .NET Strapi Sitefinity Paid media AI workflows

01 / About

I run university websites, admissions platforms and digital marketing, and make sure every click from first enquiry to enrolment is found, tracked and measured.

Hafees Aboobakkar is Assistant Manager, Web Experience & Digital Operations at Middlesex University Dubai. He took the university website from invisible in search to top-10 rankings, set up lead generation from scratch, led several website migrations, and introduced email marketing and a WhatsApp bot. He works hands-on in PHP, .NET, React and Next.js, and reports with GA4 and Power BI.

02 / Key achievements

Results, not
just releases.

At Middlesex University Dubai, from Webmaster in 2017 to Assistant Manager today.

  1. 01

    Top 10 in Google, across the whole website

    Took the entire website from not showing in search engines to top-10 Google rankings, improved page speed performance and increased organic search, through technical SEO, schema markup and GEO for AI search visibility.

  2. 02

    Introduced the latest technologies

    Brought in modern web, CRM, tracking and AI tools, including React, Strapi CMS and HubSpot.

  3. 03

    Email marketing & WhatsApp bot

    Set up email marketing, automation workflows and lead generation from scratch, then introduced a WhatsApp bot.

  4. 04

    Website migrations

    Led website migrations several times.

  5. 05

    Paid media & agency management

    Manages paid campaigns on Google, Meta and other platforms with the agency, plus reporting, analytics, third-party platforms, radio advertising and vendor sourcing.

  6. 06

    Job portal & facilities ticketing

    Replaced manual email processes with a job portal for recruitment and a ticketing system for facilities requests.

  7. 07

    Covered graphic design at intake

    Covered graphic design for 3 months during the intake period, when the organisation had no graphic designers.

  8. 08

    Part of the admissions growth team

    Contributed through lead tracking, paid campaign leads and website form integration to a team effort that now brings 20,000+ leads a month and grew intake from 2,000+ to 7,200+ students.

03 / Selected delivery

Built and shipped.

Web platforms

  • Brand new website, front end and back end
  • Strapi CMS for faster publishing
  • MDX Blog and Mdxmindset Blog
  • MDX Studio and That Design Fest websites
  • AI features for the website
  • Accessibility upgrades
  • Digital Twins Future Lab

Lead generation & CRM

  • New email marketing system
  • HubSpot form integration with the website
  • HubSpot pipelines and workflows
  • WhatsApp bot

Tracking & dashboards

  • Data layer tracking system
  • Facebook Conversions API
  • Leads-to-pay dashboards
  • Applications and leads dashboards
  • Data management technologies

Systems & events

  • CCAvenue payment gateway and dashboard
  • E2S app integration
  • Facilities ticketing system
  • Conference support: ACARI, ERPBSS and more

Consulting

  • Thailand PostZero Net Emissions platform
  • Almasar EducationTracking, social, paid campaigns, IPO support
  • Amanat HoldingSocial media and website
  • Indian GenesWebsite

04 / SEO & GEO practice

Ranked by Google.
Quoted by AI.

Search now happens in two places: results pages and AI answers. I optimise for both, every week.

  1. 01

    Technical SEO

    Regular site audits fix broken links, duplicate content and schema markup.

  2. 02

    GEO and AI visibility

    Structured, quotable content and schema help AI search tools cite the university.

  3. 03

    On-page SEO

    Well-structured pages with keyword optimisation, meta tags and relevant headings.

  4. 04

    Mobile and page speed

    A fully responsive site with a fast React front end.

  5. 05

    Local SEO

    Google Business Profile and local optimisation reach the target audience.

  6. 06

    Quality content

    Work with the content team on relevant, engaging content that keeps visitors on the site.

  7. 07

    Competitor analysis

    Competitor sites are monitored and strategy is adjusted to capture opportunities.

  8. 08

    User experience

    Continuous UX improvements increase engagement and time on site.

  9. 09

    Monitoring and reporting

    GA4 and Power BI drive data-driven decisions and fine-tune the strategy.

05 / Experience

16 years,
one direction.

May 2017 – Present

Middlesex University Dubai

  • Assistant Manager, Web Experience & Digital OperationsNov 2025 – Present
  • Senior Webmaster & Data LeadSep 2022 – Nov 2025
  • WebmasterMay 2017 – Sep 2022

Nov 2010 – Oct 2016

Eton Institute

Webmaster; earlier Web Developer, Graphic Designer & IT Consultant.

Earlier

Where it started

  • learningonline.xyz — Web Administrator
  • Level Infinity Advertising Agency — Web & 3D Designer
  • CADD Centre — Grafx Engineer

06 / Awards

Recognised,
repeatedly.

9 awards from two employers, from 2012 to 2026.

Middlesex University Dubai

2017 – present
5awards
  • 2026 Resilience Award
  • 2025 Hidden Hero
  • 2024 Innovation Award
  • 2023 Innovation Award
  • 2021 Employee of the Year

Eton Institute

Before 2017
4awards
  • 2015 Gold Long Service Award
  • 2014 The Superman Award
  • 2013 Spirit of Eton AwardBest Employee
  • 2012 Spirit of Eton AwardBest Employee

07 / Recommendations

In their
words.

All 10 on LinkedIn ↗

  • Hafees is excellent for any business. He is quick in time for updates and website management. Hafees has launched the alumni website for mdx. He does a great job with web analytics, google and seo. He’s a great support for the marketing team and is a trustworthy employee. He has implemented various web strategies at mdx and has also been successful in raising the mdx brand on google search. I recommend Hafees as a colleague and team player.

    Yazan ShaikhSenior Specialist, Higher Education StrategySenior colleague · 2021

  • Conscientious and persevering is what comes to mind when I think about Hafees. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Hafees as our Webmaster at Eton Institute for over 6 years, and I was highly impressed with Hafees's ability to drive results, he's truly a go-getter – any task taken over by Hafees would be completed immaculately and well within deadlines. A true asset for any organisation, professional and a great team player; it's without hesitation that I recommend Hafees.

    Haya AbdullaEmployee ExperienceSame team · 2021

  • Hafees is one of the most hardworking individuals I have known and he never steps away from a challenge! In fact, it brings out the best in him, and he thrives in a competitive environment. I have known Hafees for over 8 years as we worked together at Eton Institute and later at LearningOnline.xyz, where Hafees donned many hats – from a Graphic Designer to a Web Developer and Webmaster.

    Moaz KhanBusiness intelligence & marketing leaderManaged Hafees directly · 2019

  • Hafees is a true professional – 100% commitment, flexible, and with a fantastic attention to detail and deadlines. This makes him a great asset to have on board when it comes to tech. Having worked with him for over 8 years, I loved his willingness to tackle challenge and find a solution.

    Sue BrettBrand Humanizer & Marketing Content SpecialistSenior colleague · 2019

  • Hafees proved to be essential to the team, and contributed significantly to the success of the company. Brilliant and well educated Webmaster who can be trusted. Excellent and result driven. Works towards maximal customer satisfaction. Hafees makes the impossible possible. Certainly worth recommending.

    Maria HseinoHead of Operations, Fitness & LeisureSame team · 2019

  • Hafees is a very dedicated person, always willing to learn and with a positive attitude. A pleasure working with him!

    Romina MahtaniQA & Accreditation Manager, Loyola University AndalucíaSame team · 2018

  • Hafees has always been an asset to his team and company. He propelled the Institute to greater technological heights and helped to strengthen the brand's digital footprint in the form of its many websites, micro sites and portals. He's a willing team player and extremely reliable. You can rely on him to find you answers!

    Jeena George XavierDirector – SEO, Omnicom Media Group (MENA)Different team · 2017

  • Hafees is a hard working and professional individual who was always ready to help in all situations. He would go above and beyond and that too with a smile. An excellent team player and an expert in his field. It was a pleasure working with him.

    Mahina Bukhari ShahMarketing Manager, Global Programs + IncentivesSame team · 2017

  • Hafees is a diligent, professional, and hard-working member of any team he is a part of. Having worked with Hafees in a Marketing team, he is a pleasure to work with. He is creative and detail oriented, as well as being a friendly, polite member of the team.

    Nida SheriffFounder & CEO, Rocky BooksSame team · 2017

  • Hafees has been instrumental in his work supporting the IT Division of Eton Institute. He has the ability to understand customer requirement and then use his creativity in getting the design through. Hafees is capable of creating websites out of nothing and making it user friendly and trendy!

    Lakshmi ManoharOperations Director – GCC, ROVIS Management SolutionsSenior colleague · 2013
01 / 10

08 / Toolkit

Strategy, with
hands on the code.

SEO & GEO
Technical SEOSchema markupGEOAI search visibilityLocal SEO
Analytics & data
GA4GTMPower BIExcelR StudioGlobal tracking setup
Web & development
PHP.NETReactNext.jsWordPressStrapiSitefinityGitHubApplication portalsCloudflareHosting & DNS
Marketing, CRM & AI
HubSpotSendGridMailchimpZohoGoogle & Meta AdsAI workflow optimisationClaude, ChatGPT & similar

Education

  • Master of Computer Applications (MCA)
  • Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA)
  • Diploma in Multimedia Technology

Certifications

  • AI Workflow Optimisation Advanced2026
  • AI Skill Starter2026
  • Data Analytics2023
  • Customer Experience Strategy and Design2023

Languages

  • MalayalamNative
  • English, Hindi, TamilProfessional
  • ArabicElementary