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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider Trade & Industry devider Aviation veteran Khalid Al Zarooni takes helm at Emirates Philippines

Aviation veteran Khalid Al Zarooni takes helm at Emirates Philippines

Published Jul 9, 2026 11:39 am
Khalid Al Zarooni
Khalid Al Zarooni
Emirates Airline named aviation veteran Khalid Al Zarooni as its new country manager for the Philippines, positioning a seasoned executive to steer commercial strategy in a market where the Gulf carrier is aggressively expanding capacity.
Al Zarooni, who assumes the role immediately, will oversee all passenger and cargo operations in the country, according to a company statement on Thursday, July 9. He succeeds a post at a time when the Dubai-based carrier is ramping up connectivity to the Philippines to capture a larger share of regional travel demand.
The executive brings a two-decade track record within the state-owned airline’s international network. Al Zarooni joined Emirates in 2006 and most recently served as vice president for Saudi Arabia, a key revenue-generating territory he managed since 2024. His career spans leadership and commercial roles in diverse aviation markets including Greece, Cyprus, Kuwait, Morocco, Uganda, and Tanzania.
The leadership shuffle follows Emirates' capacity injection earlier this year. The airline increased its aggregate services across its three major Philippine gateways—Manila, Cebu, and Clark—to 32 weekly flights. This expansion funnels traffic directly through its central hub at Dubai International Airport, linking Filipino corporate travelers, tourists, and overseas workers to destinations worldwide.
Premium economy and economy tickets for flights between Manila and Dubai currently retail from approximately ₱25,000 to ₱39,000 one-way depending on seasonal demand, according to tracking data from regional booking platforms.
“The Philippines has long been one of Emirates' key markets in Southeast Asia,” Al Zarooni said in the statement, noting the carrier’s 36-year operational history in the country.
He added that his focus will center on working with travel trade partners and local regulators to unlock new growth channels and defend the carrier’s market share against regional rivals.
During his tenure in Europe, Al Zarooni was elected president and chairperson of the Board of Airline Representatives in Greece, marking the youngest individual chosen by peer foreign airlines to lead the industry body. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Wolverhampton in England.

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