71. Badr Mohammed Al Meer
Group CEO, Qatar Airways
Origin: Qatar
Residence: Qatar
Sector: Aviation
2023 Rank: New
Al Meer was named group CEO of Qatar Airways in December 2023. He oversees one of the world’s biggest airlines with a fleet of more than 200 aircraft flying to more than 170 destinations across six continents.
Qatar Airways’ investment portfolio includes a 25.1 per cent holding in International Airlines Group, 10 per cent in LATAM, 9.99 per cent in Cathay Pacific, and 3.38 per cent in China Southern Airlines, as of December 2023. The aviation group is ushering into a new era of travel by leveraging innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and metaverse.
It unveiled the world’s first AI-powered digital human cabin crew named Sama 2.0 to assist passengers in designing curated travel experiences. The AI cabin crew is accessible through QVerse, the airline’s immersive digital platform, as well as through the airline’s mobile app.
The flag carrier’s profit soared 113.8 per cent year-over-year to $1.03bn (QAR3.74bn) in the first six months of FY2023/24 while its revenue rose 7.4 per cent to reach QAR40.13bn.
