Ammar Balkar, the former Vice President Sales & Marketing of Abu Dhabi-based Royal Jet, has been named as the first President & CEO of the recently-formed Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA).
Balkar, takes up the new post after an extensive career in aviation throughout the Middle East including managerial roles in start-up executive jet service providers.
Prior to accepting this, his latest appointment, Ammar Balkar had also spent his whole working career in aviation, starting with Royal Jordanian airlines and gaining wide-ranging experience in commercial airlines, corporate jets and helicopters. This included assisting in the formation of three business jet start up companies in the Middle East, the latest being Royal Jet in Abu Dhabi, where he held the post of Vice President for Sales and Marketing and was on the Executive Management Board. He also contributed to the launch of Royal Wings – a subsidiary of Royal Jordanian Airlines and Commercial Executive Jets of Jordan and was the Director for sales and Marketing of Arab Wings, the region’s first air taxi company.
“Ammar’s credentials are second-to-none in assisting in the day-to-day directions of MEBAA which we envisage will grow ten-fold in membership over the next six years,” said MEBAA’s Founding Chairman Ali Al Naqbi. “I am very confident that Ammar will be a great asset to our Association playing a key role in ensuring it attains an influential voice in the future of business aviation throughout the Middle East.”
Born in Amman, Jordan, Ammar is an Economics and Business Administration graduate, with an M.SC. in Information Management Systems from the United Kingdom. He also holds a postgraduate Diploma in Airline Marketing from Switzerland.
MEBAA was launched in 2006 to promote safety, security, efficiency and expansion throughout the region’s business aviation sector. It was launched with a founding member base of Bexair of Bahrain, Gulfstream Aerospace, Jet Aviation, JetEX, Saudi Arabia’s National Air Services and Royal Jet. It now boasts over 30 members including Airbus and Boeing.
“It is an honour to be appointed to this prestigious post within the association,” said Balkar. “I am positive that with all the support from our founding board members we will achieve the goals and objectives that brought MEBAA together.
Caption: Balkar – first MEBAA’s first President & CEO
ABOUT MEBAA:
MEBAA is a not-for-profit corporation created to serve the needs of companies that operate business and VIP aircraft within the Middle East or supply goods and services to MEBAA members. The Association is a forum for communication the advantages of business aviation and the concerns of members with Middle East governments, with business leaders and with the media on matters affecting business aviation. Its governing principles focus on enhancing the safety, security, efficiency and acceptance of business aviation through the region. Members will share perspectives and best practices with other business aviation operators and world-class aviation associations, as well as gather useful industry data. MEBAA plans include organisation of conferences and exhibitions that advance the professionalism and knowledge of business aviation.
