Eng. Hatem Dowidar is the Group CEO of e& (previously known as Etisalat Group). He joined the Group in September 2015 as Group Chief Operating Officer and was appointed as Chief Executive Officer, International in March 2016.
Ever since he took the company's helm, Dowidar has spearheaded several ground-breaking strategic programmes that propelled the company’s business growth to new heights across the 16 markets where it operates. As the company transformed into a global technology and investment conglomerate in February 2022, and despite the ever-changing business landscape, his astute brand stewardship has been the foundation for enhancing e&’s brand equity, enhancing employee experience, and adding value to stakeholders. Today, e& is the world’s strongest telecom brand, the first in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region to achieve this recognition. Dowidar also features among the Elite List of Brand Guardians globally.
Under his guidance, the company is also recognized as the most valuable publicly-traded company and, according to Forbes, also the most valuable listed telecommunications service provider in the GCC region. A highly skilled strategist and visionary, Dowidar has been instrumental in ushering in a new phase of strategic partnerships and key collaborations with global industry leaders such as Microsoft and Meta that will digitally empower societies.
Prior to joining the Group, Dowidar was the Group Chief of Staff for Vodafone Group based in London, reporting to the Vodafone Group CEO. He brings 30 years of experience in multinational companies and more than 24 years of these within the telecommunications industry across various leadership positions in multinational companies.
He initially joined Vodafone Egypt in 1999, served as Marketing Director (CMO) and later became the CEO of Vodafone Egypt from 2009 - 2014, where he steered the business growth with benchmark profitability in challenging and competitive environments.
Dowidar has a long track record of achievements in the various leadership positions he held at Vodafone Group and its subsidiaries, including Group Core Services Director, CEO of Vodafone Malta, CEO of Partner Markets with partnerships covering over 45 markets and Regional Director Emerging Markets.
He also has extensive Corporate Governance experience through his representation as Chairman and Board Member in several Corporate Boards within and outside the telecommunications industry.
Dowidar began his career in AEG/Deutsche Aerospace (Daimler Benz Group) in Egypt, before moving into marketing at Procter & Gamble, where he held several managerial roles.
He is currently a board member of Etihad Etisalat Company (Mobily), Maroc Telecom, Etisalat Misr (Etisalat Egypt), Pakistan Telecommunications Company (PTCL) and Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
On a global industry level, Dowidar is a member of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) panel, a multistakeholder group for policies and practices relating to the Internet and technologies. Convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the IGF facilitates knowledge exchange on how to maximize Internet opportunities and address risks and challenges. Since its foundation, the IGF has identified a wide range of key issues to be addressed by the international community and has shaped policy decisions related to the Internet and technologies throughout the world.
Previously, Dowidar served as a board member for GSMA (Global System for Mobile Communications), Etisalat Nigeria, Attijariwafa Bank Egypt, Barclays and Vodacom Africa.
He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and Electronics Engineering from Cairo University and an MBA from the American University in Cairo.
