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Dr Ghanem
Al Hajri does not have a passion for flying aircraft, nor does he have much time
these days for outdoor games, though he did play for the UAE national football
team but that was more than 15 years ago. He is the researcher, the family man,
the man who believes in getting results.
Results like making Sharjah
airport the numero uno airport in freight transport in the Middle East. The 41-year-old
Director General of Sharjah Airport Authority says the airport has a key role
to play as far as aviation in the Middle East is concerned, and is proud of its
achievements.
One needs to speak with Dr Ghanem for barely a few minutes
to realise his dedication and commitment to his work. For this man, it would appear
that life revolves around the airport and related fields. "When we came in,
the airport was very small, traffic was less. Now, things are different. We have
succeeded in attracting more airlines," he says.
"We are the
largest gateway to India," continues Dr Ghanem. "Indian Airlines operates
more than 28 flights a week out of Sharjah, serving 10 destinations in India.
so, on the passenger side, IA is our largest customer. We also have the largest
number of aircraft going to the CIS countries like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan."
Sharjah is the second largest hub for Lufthansa outside Frankfurt. "We
offer excellent warehousing facilities," he says.
Dr Ghanem who
studied at Al Arouba School in Sharjah, majored in management from the U.S., after
which he joined Loughborough University in the UK for his masters in airport planning
and management. While general manager of Sharjah airport, he enrolled at Crownfield
University, in the UK, to do his Ph.D.
Last year, he finished a
thesis on the 'Impact of sea-air on the air cargo industry'. The thesis, which
will be out in the form of a book, will be published by the ANZ group in the UK.
Dr Ghanem's theory is that sea-air has a major role to play. "Instead of
bringing in large consignments at one time, you can bring in smaller consignments,
on a regular basis, using both sea and air. In this way, you reduce the cost of
transportation by 50 per cent. This means that there is a lot of saving for the
end-user."
The only one in his family in the aviation field, Dr
Ghanem has also been to Germany for special training in airport management.
Does he have any hobbies? " I don't read much. I read mainly aviation-related
material. I don't have the time for other subjects. If I had the time, I would
rather play some sport," he says, and promptly returns to his pet topic.
"Airports are not any more providers of service, but generators of business.
Dubai is the busiest international airport as far as passengers go, while we are
the busiest on the cargo side. In the end, we complement each other. Cargo will
remain a potential business for this part of the world. That is why we are emphasizing
the cargo activity - it has a big potential."
So what is his
role?
"My role is to professionally build up management. Safety is our
priority. We are dealing with aviation, people and goods. We are trying to keep
Sharjah airport safe, maintain up-to-date information on the latest technology,
and try to always provide that high standard of maintenance."
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Sharjah airport is a trend-setter. It brought in the first flights of tourists
in 1980, when tourism activity began in the UAE. The airport was the only one
issuing tourist visas at the time, and it started flying in German tourists into
the UAE market.
Apart from the airport, Dr Ghanem is also very proud
of the emirate itself. "you realize that there are a large number of museums
in Sharjah, things related to tourism, the restoration of old buildings, arts
centres, souks and squares. All these cater for tourists. People need to see our
culture. Unesco had named Sharjah the cultural capital of the Arab world, and
that is a very big achievement for a small emirate - to be able to compete with
the other capitals of the Arab world and to get this prestigious award."
"It is a landmark that the cultural capital of the Arab world should
be the No.1 freight carrier. That is a very big achievement."
Dr Ghanem... 'I owe a lot to my country'
However, though he is
proud of the achievements of Sharjah, Dr Ghanem is modest and about his laurels:
"What I am doing is my duty to my country to which I owe a lot. I was born
here, educated here... I have to create an awareness of the importance of aviation
to industry, to encourage new generations through education, and to serve the
country in a better manner."
Plans and ways to better Sharjah
airport may be constantly on his mind, but that does not mean he has no time for
his family. Father of five children - three boys and two girls - Dr Ghanem lavishes
attention on them.
"I love sports," he says, when asked how
he would like to spend his spare time. "I played for the UAE national team
in 1981 - 83, and was captain for one of the clubs in Sharjah. But now I have
no time for all this," he adds wistfully.
One understands how pressed
he is for time when one comes to know of the various other portfolios he holds.
He is the vice-chairman (worldwide) of Airport Council International (ACI) and
the Chairman (Asia region) of ACI - an international body representing 1,250 airports
of the world. He is also the executive member of its world board.
Dr Ghanem does not hesitate to admit that bringing the airport to the level where
it is now would not have been possible without combined efforts. "I am one
of a team which worked so hard to build up this airport, but that did not come
by our efforts alone. It was because of the facilities provided to us by the government;
it came because of the co-operation we had from other government departments;
it came because of the co-operation from airlines and agents who believed in what
we could do, and gave us an opportunity to provide them with the service. We have
proved that we can handle all types of aircraft and cargo coming to the area."
Now, the aim is to improve facilities, develop more cargo activity, build
more terminals, expand the runway. "We are a small airport in size, but our
activity is quite big," remarks Dr Ghanem.
"Aviation is very
important," he says. "It is the cornerstone of the growth of the economy.
Global business is changing, so we have to be flexible to provide the right service
to the right customer. With the will of the people and the facilities we are getting,
I think we can do that," he says. |
