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Monday, November 9 - 2009

Gulf Air appoints new Chief Executive Officer

Gulf Air, Bahrain's national carrier, announced today the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer to lead the airline as it enters the next phase of its realignment strategy.

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  • Samer Majali.
    Samer Majali.
Samer Majali, former CEO of one of the Middle East's most commercially successful carriers, Royal Jordanian, will take over at Gulf Air within the next few months from current CEO Björn Näf.

Until then, Talal Al Zain, Gulf Air's Chairman, will manage the business in the temporary position of Executive Chairman.

Talal Al Zain said:
"On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Björn Näf for his leadership over the last two years and we wish him well in his future endeavors. Moving forward, we have important plans for the future of Gulf Air and we believe Samer is the right leader to take the airline forward as we move into the next phase of our strategy to rebuild the business."


"I'm delighted to welcome Samer to the team as he brings an exceptional track record of successfully managing a leading Middle Eastern carrier. His skills will help us to build towards a strong future for Gulf Air," he concluded.

Under Samer's leadership, Royal Jordanian has been transformed into a highly successful and profitable business. The carrier's transformation has been driven by a comprehensive strategy to modernize the airline's fleet and the reshaping of its network.

His achievements include bringing Royal Jordanian into "Oneworld" in 2007, making it the first Middle Eastern airline to join a major global alliance.

In addition, he managed the successful privatization of Royal Jordanian, a first in the region. He has also served as President of the Arab Air Carriers Organisation (AACO) and served as Chairman of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) board of governors until June 2009. Samer holds a degree in Air Transport Management from Cranfield University in the UK.

Gulf Air's outgoing Chief Executive Officer Björn Näf, is leaving the business to pursue other interests having served the airline for two and a half years. During this time he was instrumental in implementing several key initiatives towards Gulf Air's ambitious realignment programme.
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Notes and media contacts

About Gulf Air
Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, was founded in 1950 and is one of the oldest airlines in the Middle East. It is owned by Bahrain Mumtalakat Holdings Company.

Backed by more than half a century of experience, expertise and customer care, Gulf Air has established as a powerful brand and today, it is the carrier of choice for most people in the region. However, its goal has remained unchanged - the commitment to providing state-of-the-art flying experience, complemented by its traditional Arabian hospitality.

One of the prime objectives of the carrier is to connect Bahrain to the Middle East countries and the rest of the world.

The airline offers customers the unique advantage of operating the largest network in the Middle East with non-stop flights while providing seamless onward connections to other destinations.

Gulf Air's current network stretches from Europe to Asia, connecting 39 cities in 27 countries, with a fleet of 30 aircraft. The airline has code-share agreement with 15 airlines across the world offering a wider choice of flights that can be booked directly with Gulf Air.

In alignment with the dynamic growth plans of the Kingdom as laid out in 'Vision 2030', Gulf Air has embarked on a business strategy to re-fleet itself over the next five years to further strengthen its presence as a leading player. The airline has placed an order to purchase 24 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft and another order with Airbus to purchase 35 aircraft that includes A320s and A330s.

Gulf Air is the Official Airline and Sponsor of the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2009 and London-based football club Queens Park Rangers.

For further information:
Katherine Genowefa Kaczynska
Tel: +973 39433991
Gulf Air, P.O. Box: 138. Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain

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