Dr Abdulla Al Hashimi, Divisional Senior Vice President of Emirates Group Security and Chief Executive Officer at Transguard Group, has been recognised with the International Leader Award at the Intersec Awards, at the largest international trade show for security and safety organised by Messe Frankfurt. Dr Al Hashimi was acknowledged for his contribution and commitment to the growth of the Aviation Security Industry.
The International Leader Award is handed out every year to political figures, C-level executives or military personnel who have spearheaded a company or team throughout the year, showing strong leadership skills and guidance. This is the sixth accolade that Dr Al Hashimi has been awarded over the course of the last year, which includes the Mohammed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum (MRM) Award in three categories for Transguard Cash, the Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award – SKEA Gold for Emirates Group Security and the Dubai Quality Award – DQA Gold for Emirates Transguard.
Dr Abdulla remarked on being recognised for the International Leader Award, saying, “I sincerely feel that the work we’re doing brings value to countries and communities. It helps to keep people safe, and that has been a key driver in my motivation to keep doing better. I am thankful that I have a good team behind me in our pursuit of continuous improvement and excellence.”
Dr Abdulla Al Hashimi started his career as a police officer in 1989, and since then has taken on a number of roles and responsibilities in both the Dubai government and government-owned companies. He has been integral in the inception and development of Emirates Group Security, and currently holds the role of Divisional Senior Vice President. He was also instrumental in the formation of Transguard Group, and was appointed as the organisation’s Chief Executive Officer by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum.
Security plays a crucial role across numerous aspects of the business, which is what encouraged Dr Abdulla to choose and excel in this particular career: “Security is a vital enabler of business success, from market access and regulatory requirements to the smooth running of operations, to its influence on customer experience and brand reputation. Therefore, it cannot be reactive. It must be a strategic core function with appropriate levels of investment in technologies, capabilities and people.”
According to Dr Abdulla, success in the aviation security function is dependent not only on having excellent systems and the right human factors but also on great partnerships across the public and private sector ecosystem. Aviation security also operates in a dynamic environment, and is complex due to its global nature and ever-evolving threats, both in the physical and the digital world.
