Qatar Airways’ new CEO was previously director of operations at Doha’s Hamad International Airport. In his new role, he replaces the emblematic Akbar Al-Baker.
A page is turning for Qatar Airways. Indeed, after 27 years of service as CEO of the Qatari company, the lively and whimsical Akbar Al-Baker, who imprinted a real style made of sallies and punchlines from the beginnings of Qatar Airways, is giving way to Badr Mohammed Al Meer.
Multiple SKYTRAX distinctions
Since 2014, Badr Mohammed Al Meer has served as Director of Operations at Doha Hamad International Airport, leading key divisions such as MATAR, the Qatari Company for Airport Operations and Management, Qatar Duty Free, Qatar Aviation Services, Qatar Aviation Catering Company, Qatar Distribution Centre, Dhiafatina Hotels and Qatar Airways Global Real Estate. He holds engineering degrees from the American University of Beirut and the University of Colorado. During his tenure at Hamad International, he notably led an airport expansion project worth a total of $2.7 billion, and managed the historic event of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which enabled at the airport to welcome more than a million visitors. Hamad International Airport has been named “Best Airport in the World” twice (2021 and 2022) and “Best Airport in the Middle East” for nine consecutive years, in the SKYTRAX rankings, the world’s largest annual survey on customer satisfaction at airports and airlines around the world.
A “new era” for Qatar Airways
“His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker left an unforgettable mark on this organization, having built Qatar Airways from its inception into the world-class airline it is today – with 241 aircraft, 43,000 employees and counting in 160 destinations around the world. It was an honor to work under his leadership, and I pay tribute to him as he begins a new chapter. Over the past ten years, I have dedicated my career to growing the group Qatar Airways and I look forward to taking our national carrier into a new era, in which a culture of trust and accountability will be the foundation of our shared success,” said Badr Mohammed Al Meer.
