Since taking the lead on Emirates Airline’s very first flight, which was on a leased aircraft to Karachi, Pakistan, in 1985, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum has led Emirates to major achievements over 36 years. AIN asked him how much longer he would like to do the job, and he was quick to answer: “As long as my boss wants me to!”
As the No. 2 man in the Emirate of Dubai, despite being the uncle of Dubai’s top man, UAE Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is also Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Ahmed is likely to have little choice in the matter. Now aged 62, close to retirement age for many, Sheikh Ahmed ploughs on as an inspiration to the Emirates team and has made a major contribution to Dubai’s global stature as a leading business, tourism, trade, and transport hub, with aviation now accounting for 28 percent of its GDP.