Ghaith Al Ghaith receives the executive leadership award

Ghaith Al Ghaith, the CEO at flydubai, has been awarded the Executive Leadership for the Middle East & Africa accolade at the 2025 Airline Strategy Awards in London last night.

Ghaith Al Ghaith receives the executive leadership award. Image: flydubai

The Airline Strategy Awards, now in their 21st edition, are globally recognised for celebrating excellence in airline leadership and strategic innovation. Organised by FlightGlobal in partnership with Korn Ferry, the awards are judged by an independent panel of respected industry experts.

This year’s award recognises Ghaith Al Ghaith’s strategic leadership and longstanding contribution to the aviation industry in the Middle East and Africa. Since the airline’s inception in 2008, he has led the transformation of flydubai into one of the region’s most dynamic carriers, building a network of more than 135 destinations across 58 countries, more than 100 of which were underserved markets that previously did not have direct air links to Dubai or were not served by a UAE carrier.

Under Al Ghaith’s leadership, the airline has emerged as a key contributor to the aviation sector, playing a strategic role in supporting Dubai’s ambitious economic vision and its position as a global aviation hub.

Ghaith Al Ghaith, chief executive officer at flydubai, said: “it is an honour to receive this award on behalf of the entire flydubai team, whose hard work and dedication have made this achievement possible. This recognition reflects not only our collective efforts but also the visionary leadership and world-class infrastructure of Dubai and the UAE, which have laid the foundation for innovation, growth and long-term success.”“Since our launch, our mission has been to enable free flows of trade and tourism and to open up underserved markets. Today, we continue to reach new heights across our fleet, network, workforce and performance. I’m proud of how far we’ve come and look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead as we continue to grow and evolve, contributing to Dubai’s aviation hub along the way. It has been an exceptional journey and I look forward to the next chapter in our success story,” added Al Ghaith.