e& CEO Hatem Dowidar to step down by end of March 2026

Dubai: e& said on Tuesday that Group Chief Executive Officer Hatem Dowidar will step down at the end of March, concluding a six-year tenure during which the company expanded beyond its core telecommunications business.

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

The board has accepted Dowidar’s resignation, with his last day in office set for March 31, 2026, the company said in a statement.

Dowidar has led e& since 2020, overseeing a period of transformation and international expansion as the group evolved from a regional telecom operator into a global technology company.

During his tenure, e& strengthened its presence across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe, while expanding into digital services, fintech, enterprise solutions and digital lifestyle platforms.

The move was announced as e& reported record financial results for 2025, posting double-digit growth in revenue, profit and subscribers as international operations and new digital businesses scaled up.