Emirates’ best-in-class service and product, dedication to maximise the customer experience at every touchpoint, and focus on continued innovation have earned it the coveted Transport & Logistics Company of the year accolade at the Gulf Business Awards 2023. The win underscores the airline’s long-standing commitment to offering the very best experiences in the sky and on the ground, across every cabin class.
Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Divisional Senior Vice President International Affairs at Emirates received the award at a ceremony held at the Palazzo Versace hotel last night. The Gulf Business Awards are the region’s most prestigious recognition for businesses, brands, leaders, and entrepreneurs across industry verticals that range from banking, finance and investment, construction and real estate to healthcare, transport and logistics, technology, retail, and hospitality.
Nominees are evaluated and judged on criteria such as innovation, growth, financial results, product quality, service delivery, and corporate social responsibility. A judging panel of industry leaders then choose winners based on the votes received via public voting.
Emirates has had a bumper year of ramping up the rollout of its highly popular Premium Economy cabins as part of its US$2 billion investment in cabin and service enhancements. Today the airline serves twelve cities with the new Premium Economy product including London Heathrow, Sydney, Melbourne, Christchurch, Auckland, Singapore, Los Angeles, New York, Houston, San Francisco, Mumbai and Bengaluru. By the end of this year the list will grow to 14 cities with the addition of Tokyo Narita and Sao Paulo from 20 December.
The airline is also investing in its future fleet to ensure the very best experience for customers and power stronger network connections. At the Dubai Airshow, Emirates made a commitment for an additional 90 Boeing 777-9s, 777-8s, and 5 787s, worth US$ 52 billion and 15 additional Airbus A350-900s, worth US$ 6 billion.
On the ground, Emirates has been streamlining the airport experience enabled by technology like biometrics, eliminating the need for travel documents like boarding passes and passports.
Sir Tim Clark was also honoured with Transport & Logistics Business Leader of the Year and Business Leader of the Year at the Gulf Business awards. The awards recognise exemplary leaders who have demonstrated significant contributions to the growth of their respective industries and organisations. Sir Tim has served as an Emirates leader from the very outset of the airline’s humble beginnings as part of a small management team of 10 people. Since then he has steered the airline through some of its biggest challenges, helping grow Emirates into the world’s largest international airline renowned for its outstanding products and services.
Sir Tim thanked the thousands of Emirates airline team members from the stage after receiving the award: “Being awarded this accolade is a true team effort of Emirates’ management, and the many thousands of people that have come through our organisation over the last 38 years who have built it into the airline it is today, in an amazing country and city, the UAE and Dubai. Emirates is a brand that has harnessed itself to Dubai, and with the drive and visionary leadership of this country, we hope that the brand continues to propel itself and Dubai even further.”