Telecommunications giant e& said on Tuesday that its group CEO, Hatem Dowidar, will step down at the end of March 2026, concluding a six-year tenure that reshaped the group into a global player.
The board has appointed Masood M. Sharif Mahmood, currently chief executive of e& UAE, as Group CEO effective April 1, 2026. Mahmood will hold the dual role of Group CEO and CEO of e& UAE.
The board has accepted Dowidar’s resignation, with his last working day set for March 31, 2026. The move comes as e& reported record financial results for 2025 and is aligned with the group’s long-term succession plan.
Dowidar has led e& since 2020, overseeing a period of rapid transformation and international expansion. During his tenure, the company evolved beyond its core telecommunications business, building scale across digital services, fintech, enterprise solutions and digital lifestyle platforms.
Under his leadership, e& strengthened its footprint across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Central and Eastern Europe, while accelerating investment in new growth verticals.
The announcement coincided with e& posting double-digit growth across revenue, profit and subscribers in 2025. Consolidated revenue rose 23.1 per cent year on year to Dhs72.9bn, while net profit climbed 33.6 per cent to Dhs14.4bn. EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) increased 21.1 per cent to Dhs32.0bn, and earnings per share reached Dhs1.65.
The group’s total subscriber base expanded 31.3 per cent to 244.7 million, supported by growth across international markets. In the UAE, subscribers increased 8.4 per cent to 16.3 million.
The board proposed a second-half dividend of 47 fils per share, taking the full-year payout to 90 fils, and said the annual dividend will rise to 95 fils in 2026.
The e& board thanked Dowidar for his leadership and the milestones achieved during his tenure, noting that his departure follows the successful delivery of the group’s latest phase of transformation.
In a LinkedIn post, Dowidar said: “I am thrilled to see the company continue to grow, driven by the incredible e& teams across all markets who deliver on our shared ambition.”
“While this news is a big change, it’s all hands on deck for the next five weeks as we ensure a smooth handover to Masood M. Sharif Mahmood, the new Group CEO. My last day as Group CEO will be the 31st of March. Until then, I remain fully committed to the transition and will give my proper goodbyes at the end of March,” he said.