GCC airports prepare to meet future leadership challenges

Khalifa Al Zaffin, executive chairman, Dubai Aviation City Corporation, said: “There remains a shortage in professional manpower because of the pace of development that we are witnessing, and we are filling these positions with foreign expertise. Nonetheless, I believe the region has a sufficient number of aviation professionals to fill top-level positions, although I am not sure how long we will be able to sustain this given the rapid growth and development of the aviation sector.”

He added:  “Intelligent leadership is a crucial factor that will enable us to achieve our long-term goals and vision. We need to maintain a pool of leaders who fully understand and are competent in managing smart technologies that we have implemented to effectively and efficiently run our airports. We therefore need to nurture leaders who are capable of maintaining our competitive advantages with regards to operating a genuinely smart airport.”

Al Zaffin said the UAE has done remarkably well in creating more opportunities for UAE nationals to be employed in the aviation sector. The strong growth of Emirates Airline, for instance, resulted in widespread recruitment of Emiratis across different disciplines. Moreover, Dubai Airports and Dubai Aviation City Corporation were equally committed to expanding the Emiratisation programme. The aviation sector, which now accounts for around 28 per cent of the national GDP, will certainly have a huge impact in driving the Emiratisation programme. The aviation leadership in the UAE has been very progressive, very open-minded and really rising up to the challenge.

“There is an urgent need to strengthen the human resource development initiatives in the aviation sector and we need to take advantage of both local and foreign expertise to cope with the industry’s rapid growth. Moreover, we need to build more local institutions that provide specialised aviation training,” said Al Zaffin.

Arab world aviation expert, George Hannouche, whose company, Bayanat Airports, is an exhibitor at the show, said: “The region is seeing game-changing developments in the airports sector while the GCC airlines work their way to take on the world competition; one crucial issue is human asset management and leadership succession. A good leadership is of prime importance in the success of a profitable and efficiently run airport. The future of our air transport system depends on the confident and qualified leaders who run our airports.”

During the session ‘Investing in Capacity Building to Develop Airport Leaders’, the forum will discuss how airport management can grow and develop at the same speed as the infrastructure through effective human capital strategy, leadership development initiatives and succession planning and investment in university development programmes.

The forum will focus on the local market, with the aim to provide regional airport management with an opportunity to highlight skill challenges and shortages and find tangible solutions in order to develop a pool of highly-skilled Arab professionals.

Aws Al Khanjari, general manager, Gulf Centre for Aviation Studies and member of GALF Advisory Board, said one of the important qualities of a leader was to delegate powers to other competent colleagues and thereby build a team which will guarantee enhanced profitability and performance for an organisation based on efficient and effective leadership. 

He said: "The forum presents a unique opportunity for those involved in the management of airports in the UAE and the region, to identify the best practices in leadership, utilizing the perspectives of international experts who have long been engaged in the management of airports.”

Khalifa Al Zaffin, executive chairman, Dubai Aviation City Corporation