Fahad Al Hassawi

Fahad Al Hassawi has been a defining executive in the UAE telecom sector. Having joined du in 2006, he held various leadership roles—including Executive Vice President of Human Resources—and over time moved into commercial and operational leadership. In June 2021, the EITC board confirmed his appointment as CEO, entrusting him with the company’s transformation agenda. Under his leadership, du has achieved significant milestones: for example, its 5G network coverage reached 98.5% by Q3 2023, and the company reported AED 2.7 billion in revenues in that period. Moreover, du’s sustainability initiatives—such as the “Solar on Tower” project, which has powered network sites via solar panels and reduced carbon emissions—demonstrate Al Hassawi’s commitment beyond traditional telecom metrics. Before his telecom tenure, Al Hassawi began his career as an engineer with the Dubai Police Force before moving into HR and then commercial leadership. His educational background includes a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Miami and a Bachelor of Engineering in Communications from the Etisalat College of Engineering. Fahad Al Hassawi’s leadership style blends operational rigour with digital-first thinking—the result being a telco that aims not just to connect customers, but to empower whole ecosystems of enterprise, smart-city and consumer digital services. As du strengthens its role in the UAE’s digital economy, his role remains central to shaping a future-ready telecom landscape in the region.