Keynote Speakers

John Walker -Vice President Base Mainteance - Emirates Group

A Senior Engineering Executive with 32 years aviation and airline experience. Beginning his career at the lowest level as an apprentice technician and worked in almost every aspect of Commercial Aircraft Engineering from design and entry into service support of the A380 whilst working at Airbus to Fleet Technical Management and leading both Line and Base Maintenance at major airlines. Having worked in various countries, cultures and languages in various roles both managerial and non-managerial roles before being appointed as VP Base Maintenance in Emirates Engineering, leading all of the hangar maintenance and cabin retrofits and upgrades at Dubai International Airport. .

Mohamed Abubaker Farea- ICAO Middle East Regional Director

Mr. Abubaker is currently the ICAO Middle East Regional Director, responsible for maintaining continuous liaison with the States to which he is accredited and with appropriate organizations, regional civil aviation bodies, sub-regional bodies, UN Agencies, and programs operating in the region.

Mr. Abubaker is an aviation enthusiast whose passion for aviation started 30 years ago. Throughout this period, he acquired solid aviation experience and held various advisory and leadership roles, allowing him to support States in achieving their strategic objectives, designing policies, and making decisions within the context of global, regional, and national plans. He began his career at Gulf Aircraft Maintenance Company, where he held various positions until his promotion to senior engineer.

At the establishment of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Mr. Abubaker was appointed as the first UAE Airworthiness Inspector, playing an active role in developing GCAA’s laws and regulations. He also served as Director of the Civil Aviation Safety and Security Department, Chairman of the Safety Committee for Arab States, and Chairman of the Committee for the Development of Civil Aviation Systems in the Gulf Cooperation Council. He then joined Etihad Airways as Executive Vice President for Security, Safety, and Quality and was elected as a council security member in the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Following this, he was appointed CEO of Istithmar World Aviation/Dubai World Group, where he managed the investments of the domestic and foreign aviation sectors in Dubai World and contributed to transforming the company back to profitability. Later, he was appointed Director of International Affairs and Civil Aviation in the Abu Dhabi Department of Transport, responsible for bilateral air service agreements between the concerned States.

Kashif Khalid- Regional Director, OSS Africa and the Middle East, IATA

Kashif Khalid is Regional Director – Africa & Middle East for IATA’s Operations, Safety & Security division with a core focus on Airports, Passenger Experience, Cargo, Ground Operations, Security & Facilitation, providing leadership and advocacy with stakeholders to further IATA’s mission, projects, strategic partnerships, and industry standards.

Formerly he was Head of Assets & Acquisitions at Abu Dhabi Airports, leading the Global Airport development and M&A function for the UAE Government entity and its Sovereign Wealth Fund as well as the innovation, sustainability, and operations strategy for the UAE Airports portfolio.

He has advised global Airports, Governments and Airport Investors/Operators on both Greenfield and brownfield development projects, Operations Strategy, Commercial-Nonaeronautical revenue development, privatizations, public private partnerships in airports and associated infrastructure projects and concessions. Earlier on in his professional career he has had the privilege of holding several senior executive positions in Aviation with Dubai Government, Abu Dhabi Government, Citi, and British Airways.

Kashif graduated Magna Cum Laude from New York Tech in International Business & Economics and holds an MS-IB as well from New York, USA. His professional credentials include an advanced degree in Airport Planning and Finance, IAP – International Airports Professional and the ACI - Airport Executive Leadership program (AELP). He is also a Member of the Royal Aeronautical Society (MRAeS)

Dr Paul D. Williams- Professor of Atmospheric Science - University of Reading, UK

Dr Paul D. Williams is Professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of Reading, UK. Educated in physics to PhD level at Oxford, he specialises in atmospheric turbulence, jet streams, and climate change, with a focus on weather-sensitive applications including aviation. He co-developed a clear-air turbulence forecasting algorithm that has made billions of passenger journeys smoother and safer. Dr. Williams has pioneered research into the effects of climate change on aircraft turbulence and flight routes. He has published two books and over 70 scientific papers in leading journals, including Nature. Dr. Williams is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and the Royal Meteorological Society. He is a consultant to Guinness World Records on extreme atmospheric events. Dr. Williams is a frequent expert commentator for major broadcasting networks including the BBC, CNN, The Discovery Channel, and The Weather Channel, and he has been quoted on the front page of the New York Times.