Telecommunications giant e& has appointed Masood M. Sharif Mahmood as group chief executive officer, effective April 1, 2026, following the planned departure of Hatem Dowidar after six years at the helm.

Mahmood, currently chief executive officer of e& UAE, will assume the dual role of group CEO and CEO of e& UAE, positioning him at the centre of the group’s next growth phase as it builds on its transformation into a global technology company.

A seasoned executive with more than 25 years of experience across communications, investments and government, Mahmood brings deep institutional knowledge and a track record of managing complex, large-scale assets.

According to a professional biography note published by e&, Mahmood began his career in 2000 as part of the founding team of the executive office of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He later moved into the investment sector in 2006 with Dubai Holding, where he worked across financial services, real estate and technology.

Read more: e& CEO Hatem Dowidar to step down after six years at the helm

During his previous leadership role, Mahmood served in senior management at Yahsat for nearly a decade, including as chief executive officer of the global satellite communications company, which was wholly owned by Mubadala Investment Company prior to its public listing.

Since joining Yahsat in 2012, he managed its operational capabilities across both government and commercial segments and oversaw the expansion of its global footprint into more than 50 markets worldwide.

He led and executed the consolidation of the UAE’s commercial space sector through Yahsat’s acquisition of mobile satellite operator Thuraya, creating significant shareholder value and helping enable Yahsat’s public debut in 2021.

Prior to joining Yahsat, Mahmood served as vice president at Mubadala Investment Company, where he headed the ICT sector and oversaw the corporate strategy and asset management of its strategic portfolio, including Yahsat and Injazat.

He later served as director general of financial and strategic affairs at the Abu Dhabi Department of Finance, before joining Etisalat UAE in 2021 as chief executive officer, where he has overseen the continued growth and performance of the group’s domestic operations.

Mahmood’s appointment follows the planned departure of Dowidar, who has led e& since 2020 and overseen a period of rapid international expansion and diversification beyond core telecommunications, including moves into digital services, fintech, enterprise solutions and digital lifestyle platforms.

The leadership transition comes as e& reported strong financial results for 2025. Consolidated revenue rose 23.1 per cent year on year to Dhs72.9bn, while net profit climbed 33.6 per cent to Dhs14.4bn. EBITDA increased 21.1 per cent to Dhs32.0bn, earnings per share reached Dhs1.65, and the group’s total subscriber base expanded 31.3 per cent to 244.7 million.

Mahmood is 48 years old. He holds a master’s degree in business administration, specialising in finance, from McGill University in Canada, and a bachelor’s degree in computer systems engineering from Boston University in the United States.

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) has approved the academic calendar for higher education institutions (HEIs) across the country for the next three academic years, 2026–2027, 2027–2028 and 2028–2029.

The move aligns with directives issued by the Education, Human Development and Community Development Council and aims to unify the academic calendar across schools and universities nationwide, a WAM report said.

Read more-UAE approves 3-year academic calendar: What parents need to know

The decision applies to all federal and private higher education institutions based in the UAE. However, international branch campuses will be permitted to align their academic year start and end dates with those of their parent institutions abroad.

Flexible framework for institutions

Under the approved structure, universities will retain flexibility in determining the exact start and end dates of the academic year, depending on programme requirements and the scheduling of summer semesters.

Institutions may also shift the start date of scheduled breaks by up to one week before or after the approved dates, provided that the total holiday duration remains unchanged.

Officials said the revised structure introduces “a more flexible and consistent framework” for organising the academic year, ensuring clarity in semester timelines and a unified vacation schedule.

The ministry noted that the changes are designed to support effective academic planning and enhance programme delivery across higher education institutions.

Key dates: 2026–2027 academic year

For the 2026–2027 academic year, classes will begin on August 31, 2026.

Winter break will run from December 21, 2026, through January 1, 2027, with classes resuming on January 4, 2027. Spring break is scheduled from April 5 to April 9, 2027.

A summer semester will take place from May 24 to July 2, 2027, with the academic year concluding on July 2, 2027.

2027–2028 academic year schedule

The 2027–2028 academic year will commence on August 30, 2027.

Winter break will run from December 20 through December 31, 2027, and classes will resume on January 3, 2028. Spring break is set for March 27 to March 31, 2028.

The summer semester will run from May 22 to June 30, 2028, with the academic year ending on June 30, 2028.

2028–2029 academic year timeline

For the 2028–2029 academic year, classes will begin on August 28, 2028.

Winter break will take place from December 18 through December 29, 2028, with classes resuming on January 2, 2029. Spring break will run from March 26 to March 30, 2029.

The summer semester is scheduled from May 21 to June 29, 2029, with the academic year ending on June 29, 2029.

Balanced academic structure

The structure allocates 16 teaching weeks for the first semester, 17 weeks for the second semester, and six weeks for the summer semester. Official holidays and semester breaks are excluded from the total teaching weeks.

According to the ministry, the new academic calendar ensures a balanced and well-structured framework that distributes study periods and breaks evenly throughout the year.

Officials said the calendar enhances students’ learning experiences while supporting a broader national vision to strengthen the quality, stability and efficiency of the higher education ecosystem.

The initiative also reinforces MoHESR’s commitment to fostering a balanced university environment that promotes strong academic outcomes and prepares students for future educational and professional pathways, in line with national development priorities.

More details are available at:

Etihad Airways reported a near 50 per cent jump in net profit to $698m last year, the carrier said on Tuesday, as increased capacity supported strong demand across markets and lifted its load factor.

“We’ve been investing a lot in our product, in customer satisfaction. We’ve been growing a lot, adding capacity, right?…So I would say it’s a combination of efforts,” CEO Antonoaldo Neves told Reuters.

The Abu Dhabi airline said passenger numbers rose 21 per cent to 22.4 million in 2025, with the fleet expanding to 127 aircraft after 29 new jets were added during the year through deliveries from both Boeing and Airbus, along with the return to service of the A380.

The airline sees signs of continued strength in demand this year, with “more and more premium demand”, Neves said.

“Our load factors were 88 per cent last year,” he said. “We’re getting many, many days of 90 per cent this year. We wouldn’t have that if economy was not strong as well.”

“I think the great news that we have is that the new markets are performing much better than we thought … they’re maturing much, much more quickly than we actually anticipated,” he said, without mentioning specific geographies.

Plans to expand in Asia, Europe

Last year, the Gulf airline launched new routes including Prague, Hanoi and Hong Kong.

Asked about further route expansion for this year, Neves said the company plans to further expand in China, Southeast Asia and Europe.

In recent years, airlines have struggled with aircraft deliveries amid increasing demand, as Boeing undergoes multiple crises and Airbus struggles with supply chain constraints.

Neves said Etihad is focused on keeping its retrofit programme on schedule while working with manufacturers to secure timely deliveries.

“So far, I mean, I wouldn’t say it’s amazing … but it’s improving,” Neves said, noting the carrier expects about 20 more aircraft to be delivered this year, primarily from Airbus.

The Tata Group, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and OpenAI have announced a multi-dimensional strategic partnership aimed at accelerating AI-driven innovation across enterprise, consumer and social sectors, while strengthening India’s AI infrastructure ambitions.

The collaboration spans enterprise deployment, industry transformation, infrastructure development and workforce enablement. It will see several thousand Tata Group employees gain access to Enterprise ChatGPT to enhance productivity and innovation, while TCS will leverage OpenAI’s Codex to improve software engineering performance.

A key pillar of the partnership involves the development of industry-specific agentic AI solutions. OpenAI will bring its advanced AI capabilities, while TCS will contribute sector expertise and contextual implementation capabilities to design solutions tailored to specific industries.

The two companies will also pursue joint go-to-market initiatives, enabling Indian and global enterprises to deploy and scale OpenAI’s AI platforms. TCS will support customers in integrating and operationalising AI solutions aligned to their organisational requirements.

On the infrastructure front, TCS’ HyperVault unit and OpenAI have agreed to a multi-year partnership to build AI-ready infrastructure in India. The initial phase will include the development of 100MW of AI infrastructure capacity, with plans to scale to 1GW. The facilities are expected to support next-generation AI workloads and position India as a global AI hub.

Beyond commercial objectives, the partnership includes a social impact component. The OpenAI Foundation and TCS will collaborate to provide AI training and resources to Indian youth, with a target of improving the livelihoods of at least one million young people. The initiative will include technology toolkits for NGOs and youth-focused programmes to promote responsible AI adoption.

Sam Altman, CEO, OpenAI, said, “India is already leading the way in AI adoption, and with its talent, ambition, and strong government support, it is well placed to help shape its future. Through OpenAI for India and our partnership with Tata Group, we’re working together to build the infrastructure, skills, and local partnerships needed to build AI with India, for India, and in India, so that more people across the country can access and benefit from it.”

N Chandrasekaran, chairman, Tata Sons, said, “This deep collaboration between OpenAI and Tata Group marks a major milestone in India’s vision to become a global leader in AI. We are pleased to partner with OpenAI to create state-of-the-art AI infrastructure in India. This is a unique opportunity for OpenAI and TCS to transform industries. Together we will skill India’s youth and empower them to succeed in the AI era.”

TCS established HyperVault in 2025 to deliver gigawatt-scale, AI-ready infrastructure for hyperscalers and AI-driven enterprises. Powered by green energy, the platform will feature purpose-built, liquid-cooled data centres with high rack densities and connectivity across major cloud regions.

The partnership signals a significant step in India’s push to strengthen domestic AI capabilities while scaling enterprise adoption and infrastructure readiness.

Read: OpenAI expands global push for AI use, data centre buildout

Telecommunications giant e& said on Tuesday that its group CEO, Hatem Dowidar, will step down at the end of March 2026, concluding a six-year tenure that reshaped the group into a global player.

The board has appointed Masood M. Sharif Mahmood, currently chief executive of e& UAE, as Group CEO effective April 1, 2026. Mahmood will hold the dual role of Group CEO and CEO of e& UAE.

Read more: Who is Masood Sharif Mahmood, the new CEO set to lead e& into its next phase?

The board has accepted Dowidar’s resignation, with his last working day set for March 31, 2026. The move comes as e& reported record financial results for 2025 and is aligned with the group’s long-term succession plan.

Dowidar has led e& since 2020, overseeing a period of rapid transformation and international expansion. During his tenure, the company evolved beyond its core telecommunications business, building scale across digital services, fintech, enterprise solutions and digital lifestyle platforms.

Under his leadership, e& strengthened its footprint across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Central and Eastern Europe, while accelerating investment in new growth verticals.

The announcement coincided with e& posting double-digit growth across revenue, profit and subscribers in 2025. Consolidated revenue rose 23.1 per cent year on year to Dhs72.9bn, while net profit climbed 33.6 per cent to Dhs14.4bn. EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) increased 21.1 per cent to Dhs32.0bn, and earnings per share reached Dhs1.65.

The group’s total subscriber base expanded 31.3 per cent to 244.7 million, supported by growth across international markets. In the UAE, subscribers increased 8.4 per cent to 16.3 million.

The board proposed a second-half dividend of 47 fils per share, taking the full-year payout to 90 fils, and said the annual dividend will rise to 95 fils in 2026.

The e& board thanked Dowidar for his leadership and the milestones achieved during his tenure, noting that his departure follows the successful delivery of the group’s latest phase of transformation.

In a LinkedIn post, Dowidar said: “I am thrilled to see the company continue to grow, driven by the incredible e& teams across all markets who deliver on our shared ambition.”

“While this news is a big change, it’s all hands on deck for the next five weeks as we ensure a smooth handover to Masood M. Sharif Mahmood, the new Group CEO. My last day as Group CEO will be the 31st of March. Until then, I remain fully committed to the transition and will give my proper goodbyes at the end of March,” he said.