Swissport, a leading aviation services company, has announced the appointment of Hamad Alhemede as new Chief Executive Officer for Saudi Arabia, effective from 1 October 2024. 

In his new role, Hamad brings over 17 years of leadership experience across Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector. He will lead the regional teams in driving the growth and expansion of Swissport in the region. Prior to this appointment, he held key roles at Saudi Ground Services, including Vice President of Commercial, Director of Financial Planning and Analysis, and Senior Manager of Business Transformation. He played a pivotal role in shaping SGS’s strategic presence within the aviation industry. His core expertise in the aviation ground services industry will be instrumental in driving Swissport’s continued growth across air cargo handling, ground services, and lounge hospitality, with particular focus on servicing Saudi carriers.

Academically, Hamad holds an MBA from Alfaisal University and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from King Abdulaziz University. He also holds several certifications, including Merger and Acquisitions from Columbia Business School Executive Education, the CFO Programme from London Business School, and Alternative Investments and Leading with Finance from Harvard Business School.

Welcoming Hamad to the leadership team, Dirk Goovaerts, CEO of Swissport’s CEMEAI region and Global Cargo Chair, said, “We are delighted to welcome Hamad Alhemede as our new CEO for Saudi Arabia. His leadership will support Swissport in continuing its successful growth story and contributing towards Vision 2030. We are committed to delivering operational excellence and world-class services for the future of aviation in Saudi Arabia.”

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Hamad also expressed, “I am excited to join Swissport-KSA as the Chief Executive Officer and to work with such a distinguished team. Together, we will further expand Swissport’s presence in the Kingdom, providing safe and reliable services to our valued clients. As we strive to enhance our footprint across the Kingdom’s airports, we also look forward to growing our business in air cargo handling and lounge hospitality.”