The Board of Trustees of the Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences announced that it has chosen His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, for the ’Person of the Year 2024’ accolade in appreciation of his significant contributions to education and charity, particularly through his leadership of the Emirates Airline Foundation.

The recognition also salutes Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed’s unstinting support as patron of various community organisations that have aligned their efforts with government initiatives to support children, students, and people of determination.

His Excellency Humaid Mohammed Al Qatami, Chairman of the Hamdan Foundation’s Board of Trustees, said that the ’Person of the Year 2024’ honour for His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed underscored his indefatigable energy in promoting education and charity work. The accolade reflects profound respect for His Highness’s outstanding national and humanitarian contributions, which have defined a legacy of progress and generosity while driving economic prosperity and advancing various sectors that contribute to enhancing human development and quality of life locally as well as globally.

HE AlQatami highlighted the Hamdan Foundation’s appreciation for HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed’s devotion to national and humanitarian values while continuing to serve as an inspiring example of dedication, generosity, and perseverance, particularly when it came to promoting access to good education for all.

Over the past 38 years, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed has been at the forefront of Dubai’s remarkable economic transformation, spearheading the successful expansion of the aviation sector, which contributes immenselyto the emirate’s GDP, while also helping formulate economic, investment, and fiscal policies and strategies in support of the emirate’s overarching development vision.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed embarked on a career in the aviation industry in 1985 when he was appointed President of the Dubai Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), the entity that at the time oversaw the activities of the Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai Duty Free, among others. 

The same year, Emirates – Dubai’s international airline – was launched with Sheikh Ahmed as its Chairman. He is currently the Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, which includes dnata, one of the world’s leading providers of aviation and travel services that cater to other aviation-related entities as well.Emirates has since gone on to become one of the world’s most recognisable airline brands with a global footprint across six continents, connecting diverse peoples and facilitating global trade.

Beyond the aviation sector, Sheikh Ahmed holds several government positions and plays an increasingly pivotal role in leading the emirate’s finance and energy sectors.