His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan has broad and distinct experience in management and aviation, through his academic studies in the field of Economics and Administration, enriched and strengthened by the specialized training courses which he was keen to attend in the UK to apply what he acquired with high professionalism. His Excellency chaired the Department of Civil Aviation for fourteen years, as he joined the Department in Abu Dhabi in 1984 as an agent, and then he was appointed Chairman of the Department in 1991. During his presidency of the Department of Civil Aviation, Abu Dhabi International Airport saw remarkable development in its services, and during that period, there were expansion projects for the airport in an integrated manner. His Excellency held the honorary membership of the Royal Aeronautical Society in 1999, and the honor uniform for Pilots and Airmen Union in London city.
In addition to his posts in the public sector, His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan took several positions in the private sector:
Chairman of Royal Jet.
Vice Chairman of Abu Dhabi Aviation.
Chairman of Abu Dhabi Aviation.
Chairman of Gulf Air.
Chairman of the National Corporation for Tourism and Hotels.
Chairman of Arady Company.
Chairman of Bank Al Falah – Pakistan.
Chairman of Gulf Aircraft Maintenance Company.
Chairman of Royal Jet
His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan has been the Chairman of Royal Jet since April 2002.
“Royal Jet”, a leading company in the field of luxury private aviation services, which received excellence and quality awards, is the brainchild of the Founder and Chairman, His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, and it is a partnership between Abu Dhabi Aviation and the Presidential Flight Authority (PFA), based in Abu Dhabi.
In recognition of its excellent services, “Royal Jet” has been voted the “Middle East’s Leading Private Airline” for the eighth consecutive year at the World Travel Awards 2015, and carried the title of “Middle East’s Leading Private Jet Charter’ Operator” at the Middle East Travel Awards for three years, as well as “Business Aviation Operator of the Year” at the 2013 Annual Aviation Business Awards. In addition, the Fixed Base Operations facility (FBO) in Abu Dhabi was voted ‘Best in the Middle East’ by Aviation International News.
In October 2014, the company began with the implementation of a program to modernize and expand its aircraft .The program included plans to increase the number of jets, for up to 20 jets by 2020, at a cost of $ 700 million. The company received two Bombardier Global 5000 aircraft, and one Bombardier Learjet 60 XR aircraft. The “Royal Jet”, which is currently the largest independent operator of the Boeing Business Jet, operates 12 aircraft, six of which are Boeing Business Jets, two Bombardier Global 5000, two Bombardier Learjet, and two Gulfstream G300 S.
“Royal Jet” is a founding member of the Middle East Business Aviation Association, which contributes to promoting the interests of the field of business aviation in the region. It is also a member in NBAA, AVITAT, “Med-Link” (one of the services of MedAir Inc), and the Flight Safety Foundation.
Chairman of Abu Dhabi Aviation
His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan was appointed Chairman of Abu Dhabi Aviation, and then Vice President in 2002.
Abu Dhabi Aviation provided many services, such as air support for oil production companies in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, VIP transport services, search and rescue operations within the UAE, spray of crops in the region, air construction services, and assignment operations in the event of earthquakes and fire-fighting in Europe, In addition to being a service provider for the UAE Armed Forces, the Police Air Wing (PAW), and the Special Operations Command (SOC).
The company continued to expand its business in the global and domestic markets, and own fifty percent of Royal Jet Company, which is the largest operator of business aircraft (Boeing), and it is also an airline for VIPs, in addition to owning a fleet of various private jets.
In addition, in 2008, the Abu Dhabi Aviation has achieved a strategic gain by owning “Maximus Air Cargo”, a company based in Abu Dhabi, and specialized in heavy global jet shipping operations, and this achievement gives it the ability to use its helicopters all over the world while ensuring cooperation and control.
Chairman of Gulf Air
His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan was appointed Chairman of the Gulf Air in 1988, then he was reappointed in 1991, 1995, and 1999, and after that he was appointed Chairman of the Board for a period of 3 years in 2002.
The Gulf Air was founded in late 1940 as a company to hire planes in Bahrain, and in 1950 the company was registered as a private shareholding under the name Gulf Aviation Company, and shortly thereafter, the British Airways overseas became a major shareholder in the company. In 1973,the British Airways’ shares were purchased by Bahrain, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, and Oman, and it was named “Gulf Air” to be the national airline for each of the four partners, and when a cooperation agreement was signed in 1974, the shares owned by the British Airways were purchased through a treaty called “Federal Treaty”.
By 1988, the company continued to strengthen its fleet. It launched Boeing 767 service, and in the same year, His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan was appointed Chairman of Gulf Air.
In 2002, His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan was reappointed Chairman for three years, and he decided to appoint James Hogan as CEO of Gulf Air, to begin implementation of the 3-year restructuring program, known as Project Falcon, which came in response to the sharp decline in profits, sharp increase in debt, and the withdrawal of Qatar from its ownership share of Gulf Air.
Project Falcon aims to develop a plan to address the unstable financial situation for the company and re-establish it as a world-class airline with three shareholding owners. The plan developed by the Board, under the chairmanship of His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, included the establishment of several elements, including; a full range of services in all economy airline companies and Gulf Traveler, and innovative products and service development on the ground or in the air, including Sky Chefs and Sky Nannies on board, in addition to the Gulf Air Training Simulator Centre, re-launch of the frequent flyer program, a dedicated worldwide contact center, and the focus on the brand and activation of the new corporate identity.
In spite of the successive challenges, including SARS, the war on Iraq, the Asian tsunami, and rising oil prices, which took a heavy cumulative toll on the profitability of the global airline industry, all the goals and financial objectives of Gulf Air were met, and profitability was achieved one year ahead of schedule in 2004. The program succeeded in the revitalization of the strong brand in terms of the flexibility of the commercial infrastructure, significant reduction of debt levels, improvement of the equity ratio, improvement of revenue, and reduction of non-fuel unit cost. In 2005, the Emirate of Abu Dhabi withdrew from the ownership arrangement, followed by the Sultanate of Oman in 2007. So Bahrain became the sole owner of the airline.
Chairman of the National Corporation for Tourism and Hotels
His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, has been the Chairman of the National Corporation for Tourism and Hotels since 2008.
The National Corporation for Tourism and Hotels (NCTH) was founded in 1996, in response to the need to develop both tourism and commerce in the UAE, particularly in Abu Dhabi. It is dedicated to contribute to the strengthening of hotel acquisition and management, hospitality service, transportation, and catering.
Danat Hotels & Resorts is the upscale hotel division of the National Corporation for Tourism and Hotels with its portfolio of four and five star hotels in the UAE that includes ownership of the InterContinental Hotel Abu Dhabi and the Intercontinental Hotel Al Ain. It also includes Danat Jebel Dhana Resort (owned and managed) and Al Raha Beach Hotel (managed). Furthermore, the four-star deluxe Abu Dhabi travel resorts include: Tilal Liwa Hotel, Dhafra Beach Hotel, Danat Al Ain Resort and Sands Hotel (owned and managed).
In addition, NCTH is involved in the asset management of Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi Hotel, and Crowne Plaza Dubai Hotel. It has sought within its strategic plan to attract global luxury hotels; such as Bristol Hotel Abu Dhabi, launched by His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, and the main representatives of (Oetker) Hotels to be held in the western region of Abu Dhabi Island, including 250 guest rooms and suites, the Hotel Grand Millennium, which is located on one of the main entrances to Abu Dhabi in the Arabian Gulf Street, five-star Saadiyat Island Resort, which was established on a 800 thousand-square-foot, and is 500 meters from the city of Abu Dhabi, and Nareel Island.
Chairman of Arady
His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan has been the Chairman of Arady since 2008, a leading company in the field of investments compliant with Islamic law, which focuses on investing in real estate and private equity. The company aims to deliver results to shareholders in line with the strategic plan of the region’s development. This can be in the form of a joint venture partnership, such as the partnership with NSL Limited, which led to the creation of Iris Modern Urban Management LLC, and the contract for the world’s largest on-street parking project or the creation of funds, such as Arady’s ADPOP portfolio, that currently owns real estate assets in excess of AED 650 million.
Since its inception in 2007, Arady has created economic growth and achieved returns for its investors and provided long-term profit for companies in which it invests, and for those that it provides them with counseling. It also improves the whole region’s economy, and this has been achieved through the commitment of its extraordinary people, strategic partners, and selectively invested capital.
The company has worked to repeat its successful business model for scaling up in all the GCC, Middle East, and North Africa, with a focus on the UAE, especially Abu Dhabi.
In spite of the economic challenges and the global financial crisis, the integrated business model of the company and its ability to implement the plans left it in a strong position to move forward, especially as it focused on strategic projects, land bank, infrastructure, and operational capability and capacity, as well as its access to capital resources, through maintaining the quality of reporting, transparency, and disclosure, and continuing to provide clear information about the financial performance of its shareholders.
Chairman of Bank Al Falah – Pakistan
His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan was appointed the Chairman of Bank Al Falah – Pakistan in 2002.
Bank Al Falah was established in Pakistan in June 21st, 1992, as Habib Credit & Exchange Bank Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Habib Bank Ltd. Following the privatization in 1997, the Bank was taken over by the Abu Dhabi Consortium, led by His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan bin Mabarak Al Nahayan. Since then, the Bank has grown spectacularly and later became the 6th largest player in the Pakistani banking sector, boasting a vast network of 378 local branches spreading over 150 cities. Bank Alfalah utilizes this network to enhance financial penetration in the country, with a growing number of branches in rural areas. In 2011, the Bank added 40 branches to its network.
The Bank’s spread at the international level made it one of the top banking units in Bahrain, in addition to 5 branches in Bangladesh, and two branches in Afghanistan.
Bank Al Falah stays abreast of banking innovations and builds upon its financial performances with a wide range of products and services supported by state-of-the-art technologies, to be able to meet the challenges that arise due to the changing nature of the financial industry.
The bank has many strengths, most importantly, its dynamic Board of Directors and management, which enabled it to provide strong support for Abu Dhabi Group, one of the largest business groups in the Middle East and the single largest foreign investor in Pakistan. The Group had diversified economic interests in Pakistan and offered strong financial resources and extensive management expertise in the oil and gas exploration, banking and financial services, automotive, hospitality services, property development, and telecommunications sectors.
PACRA, a premier rating agency of the country, gave the Bank an AA Entity rating for long term and A1+ (A one plus) for short term. These ratings denote a very low expectation of credit risk and strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments in the long and short term. Furthermore, the Bank is listed on the Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad Stock Exchanges.
The Bank’s Treasury provided support services to its domestic and international branches bank to ensure smooth business transactions regarding foreign exchange, fund management, government securities, and money market related transactions, and major financial centers in the world, as well as consultation and all major department operations, which enabled it to enhance its geographical coverage in over 100 countries.
The Bank contributed to the promotion of a culture of innovation and community-based and charitable contributions by investing in various projects to raise the standard of living in the community.
Chairman of Gulf Aircraft Maintenance Company
His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan was the Chairman of the Gulf Aircraft Maintenance Company (GAMCO) for ten years.
GAMCO was founded in 1987, and its main objective is to become the premier maintenance, overhaul and repair (MOR) facility from Europe to the Far East.
Maintenance support to Gulf Air was a significant segment of GAMCO’s business plan, and the UAE military signed a Memorandum of Understanding with GAMCO to use some of the company’s know-how and its facilities, and receives support through research and development projects.
AMCO was also successful in developing first rate Lockheed, Tri-Star heavy maintenance support, and won a multiyear contract to provide all heavy maintenance work for the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force tanker fleet.
Under the Chairmanship of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, GAMCO signed a variety of agreements with leading aviation companies such as GE, Rolls Royce and Pratt & Whitney, and under his leadership, GAMCO’s first annual profit was attained. GAMCO was gathered under the umbrella of The Mubadala Development Company in 2007. Mubadala is a strategic investment and development company established and wholly owned by the Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. GAMCO was then rebranded as Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies, which sought to turn the Emirate of Abu Dhabi into an aviation power house.
His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan worked to increase capacity, develop expertise, and enter new business markets through partnerships, joint ventures, and potential acquisitions.
The Company has a unique experience in the area of total maintenance support, developed the capacity of most contemporary types of aircraft and engines, and played a key role in the development of major airlines in the region.
Achievements of His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan while being Chairman of GAMCO:
- GAMCO became an international provider of heavy maintenance for the airline industry.
- Instigated the transfer of Gulf Air heavy maintenance from Bahrain to Abu Dhabi.
- Initiated the formation of a small engine repair company to provide overhaul and maintenance services on the PT-6 engines, widely used at Abu Dhabi Aviation, and many other helicopter operators, including regional police helicopters.
- Oversaw the development of complete overhaul capability on the CF6 engines for the airline industry.
- Coordinated the joint venture between GAMCO and Aerospecial called GAMERO, which provides for inspection and repair of fly by wire flight controls.
- Began the industrial business wing of GAMCO by engaging Rolls Royce in a technical assistance agreement and devoting an engine shop to the oil industry for overhaul and repair of the Rolls Royce Avon engines used in the pipeline network.
- Began the original discussions with GE for the development of a repair facility for GE Frames; heavy gas turbines used for the generation of electrical power. That group became known as Gulf Turbine Systems (GTS).
- GAMCO won the bid for D checks on the L1011 Airborne Tankers used by the Royal Air Force.