On behalf of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum Chairman – Dubai Airports, President – Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman & CEO – Emirates, by Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman & CEO, Dubai Duty Free
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Travelling with confidence: the traffic outlook in the ME & A
Despite geopolitical tensions and security concerns in some regions, the outlook for passenger traffic in the Middle East and Africa has rarely looked more positive – indeed, the recovery in countries such as Egypt and Tunisia offers more evidence of the region’s resilience. In this session Olivier Jager, Co-founder & CEO of travel industry analyst ForwardKeys, will look at recent traffic trends and explore what first-quarter travel bookings tell us about the year to come in the Middle East and Africa.
Olivier Jager
Olivier Jager is a seasoned travel technology entrepreneur. He launched ForwardKeys in 2010 and drives the company’s vision, strategy and growth as it provides solutions for companies operating in the travel ecosystem to better anticipate future demand by knowing who is travelling tomorrow.
Before launching ForwardKeys, Olivier built his knowledge with companies including AOL, Amadeus, PhoCusWright, Market Metrix and TravelCLICK. As a strategic thinker with a passion for innovation and solving problems, Olivier’s expertise has focused on marketing and distribution, management and business development.
Olivier is a frequent speaker on the international circuit on subjects related to how travellers are adapting their behaviour in a global and volatile marketplace.
Faisal Sultan Salim Al Mamari
Faisal Sultan Salim Al Mamari is the Non-Aeronautical Senior Manager at Oman Airports Management Company, where he is responsible for the overall development and implementation of the company’s strategic retail plan. As an integral part of the OAMC’s management team, Faisal is in charge of ensuring best business practice at the group and works closely alongside its partners, stakeholders and the local retail community. He also oversees and ensures the practical aspects of environmental protection, health and safety.
Before taking on the Non-Aeronautical Senior Manager role, for three years Faisal served as OAMC’s Retail Manager, tasked with optimising business and improving sales.
Previously, Faisal held several key positions in commercial and sales with Al-Maha Petroleum Products, BMW and the Ministry of Defense of Oman. He holds a marketing degree from Gulf College in Muscat.
Faisal is originally from Saham and currently lives in Muscat with his wife and three children.
LeClos
Gulf Beverages
Karen Durban
Karen Durban has nearly 20 years of experience in the inflight retail industry. She began her career with Aeroboutique Inflight Retail in 1999, helping to manage the retail concessions on board Air France, Virgin Atlantic and Swiss among others, in various positions at the company (from Buyer to Chief Operating Officer).
Following the rebirth of Aeroboutique as Dutyfly Solutions, Karen was appointed Deputy CEO, overseeing the company’s concessions on board Air France, Iberia, Alitalia and Air Caraïbes.
In 2014 Karen joined Inflight Sales Group to set up its European office. She manages the retailer’s activities in Russia (Aeroflot, Rossiya, UT Air and more), Latvia (Air Baltic, Smartlynx), France (Air Caraïbes , French Blue , Corsair, Aigle Azur) and Morocco (Royal Air Maroc), representing a total of 13 airlines.
Gary McFarlane
Gary McFarlane is a Senior Analyst at Emerging Markets Intelligence & Research (EMIR), a research, briefing and networking service that supports senior executives overseeing the Middle East & Africa.
Having studied public policy at Ireland’s University College Dublin, Gary’s main focus of expertise is the “eco-system of influence” within the Gulf Co-Operation Council (GCC) and the rapidly shifting policy environment of the Middle East. Before accepting the position of Senior Analyst, Gary was Managing Editor for EMIR’s business intelligence reports, mainly focusing on economic and policy trends impacting business in the Middle East.
Gary is an accomplished musician and is currently learning Arabic.
Samir Sweida-Metwally
Samir is Senior Analyst at Emerging Markets Intelligence & Research (EMIR). In his role, in addition to providing economic and policy analysis, he also gives in-house briefings to senior executives, chair panels, and speaks at external conferences. Samir began his career in banking, working in Asset Management for JP Morgan Chase in London, UK, before deciding to focus on a career in international aid and affairs.
After a stint at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), he worked as an Economic and Political analyst in Abu Dhabi, before accepting a position at Falcon and Associates, a strategic planning and advisory company, working on behalf of the Dubai leadership.
After completing an undergraduate degree in Economics and Business Finance, Samir went on to pursue his MSc in Political Theory at the London School of Economics (LSE). Samir also holds an MSc in Comparative Social Policy from the University of Oxford in the UK.
Samir is quadrilingual in English, French, Arabic, and Spanish and is currently learning Chinese.
Open skies in Africa
Air passenger traffic continues to rise in Africa. With strong increases in population numbers and disposable incomes expected over the coming decades, the continent’s future has never looked brighter – but its travel retail potential remains largely untapped. In this session Inati Ntshanga, aviation consultant and former CEO of South African Express, will explore the current climate in African aviation, and discuss the steps airlines and their partners need to take to exploit the continent’s undoubted potential.
