Abu Dhabi Airports has appointed Jamal Al Dhaheri, the former head of ADQ-owned Senaat, as its chief executive and managing director as it maps out the travel hub’s future growth.
Mr Al Dhaheri, who has more than 27 years of experience in top positions across several major Abu Dhabi companies, replaces Shareef Hashim Al Hashmi at the helm of the state-owned entity, Abu Dhabi Airports said on Thursday.

The long-awaited Dh10.8 billion ($2.94bn) Midfield Terminal Building, which is taking shape at Abu Dhabi International Airport, is expected to be among the top priorities for the new chief executive.

“The next-generation Midfield Terminal will increase capacity for passenger traffic and air cargo shipments that are vital to the airport’s future growth, and this will be one of the major elements in Al Dhaheri’s mandate,” the airport operator said.

Mr Al Dhaheri steps into the role amid a rebound in air travel demand from the impact of the coronavirus-induced slowdown.

Passenger traffic at Abu Dhabi International Airport nearly quadrupled during the second quarter of 2022 amid an easing of travel restrictions in key markets around the world.

The airport handled 3.6 million passengers in the three months to the end of June, an almost fivefold increase from the same quarter last year. This represents 68 per cent of pre-coronavirus passenger volumes.

The airport operator now expects the Gulf hub to handle at least 13 million passengers in 2022, up from an earlier projection in February of 10.7 million.