Top UAE supply chain leaders to watch in 2025

Cassie Mackie has positioned Etihad Airways as a trailblazer in procurement and supply chain within aviation. In 2024, her leadership contributed to Etihad achieving its highest-ever profit of $476 million, the result of disciplined cost management and supplier optimisation amid a travel rebound. Mackie spearheaded initiatives to streamline operations–from renegotiating contracts to introducing digital procurement tools–directly impacting the bottom line.

Mackie’s accomplishments have earned her global recognition. In 2024, she was named Asia Pacific CPO of the Year by Procurement Leaders, and her Etihad team won the Asia Pacific Procurement Team Award for transforming how procurement contributes to business success. These awards salute innovations such as consolidating Etihad’s supplier base and implementing category strategies that delivered significant savings and service improvements. By deeply integrating procurement into Etihad’s operations and championing cutting-edge practices, Mackie has not only saved costs but also enhanced the airline’s agility and sustainability in the long-term.

Fareed Al Jaberi

Vice President of Supply Chain Management, ADNOC Refining

Fareed Al Jaberi is a seasoned supply chain executive steering the complex supply chain of ADNOC Refining, a key pillar of Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas industry. With decades of experience, he has been instrumental in advancing ADNOC’s downstream supply chain into the digital age. Al Jaberi has championed the digital transformation of refining supply chains. Internally, he led the rollout of a new integrated supply management system that connects procurement, warehouses, and maintenance departments, improving materials availability and reducing downtime at ADNOC’s refineries.

In 2024, Fareed Al Jaberi aligned ADNOC Refining’s supply chain strategy with the UAE’s In-Country Value programme. He negotiated long-term agreements with local manufacturers for critical spare parts and chemicals to boost local sourcing as part of Operation 300 Bn. This move not only secures supply but also spurs domestic industry. Under Al Jaberi’s watch, ADNOC Refining joined forces with other ADNOC units to implement a Category Management approach, aggregating demand and achieving cost savings on a multi-billion-dollar scale.

Mani Asadi

Supply Chain Transformation Director, Al Tayer Group

Mani Asadi leads supply chain transformation at Al Tayer Group, one of the UAE’s most diversified business conglomerates. Asadi was brought on to modernise and unify Al Tayer’s traditionally siloed supply chain operations. In this role, he has launched a multi-year transformation programme that cuts across the group’s various divisions. A key achievement has been the implementation of a centralised supply chain control tower that provides end-to-end visibility of inventory and orders across Al Tayer’s portfolio. This has led to better inventory allocation and significant reductions in lead times.

In 2024, Asadi oversaw the rollout of a new ERP and demand planning system integrated group-wide, replacing legacy platforms. This digital overhaul improved forecast accuracy for retail products by double digits and optimised parts availability in the automotive arm, boosting after-sales service levels. He also introduced warehouse automation in Al Tayer’s primary distribution centre using robotics to accelerate e-commerce fulfilment for its growing online retail channels. In an organisation known for quality and service, Asadi’s transformative supply chain strategies ensure those values are upheld efficiently in a fast-changing market landscape.

Mazen Kloub

Vice President of Supply Chain, Majid Al Futtaim Retail

Mazen Kloub is the supply chain lynchpin for Majid Al Futtaim’s retail division, which operates the Carrefour supermarket franchise across 17 countries in MENA. A seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in logistics, Kloub manages a sprawling operation: MAF’s Carrefour has 350+ stores serving 750,000 customers daily, with a product range from fresh produce to electronics. Kloub has driven major enhancements in forecast accuracy and distribution efficiency to support Carrefour’s growth in markets like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan.

In 2024, Kloub played a key role in launching Carrefour’s first 24/7 express e-commerce delivery service in Dubai. He ensured the supply chain could fulfil online orders around the clock by setting up a dedicated dark store and integrating it with Carrefour’s delivery fleet scheduling. This initiative, which went live in late 2024, leverages MAF’s robust logistics backbone that Kloub has helped optimise over the years. He also oversaw the implementation of AI-driven route planning for home deliveries, reducing delivery times and fuel costs. With an eye on sustainability, Kloub introduced reusable packaging solutions for Carrefour’s bulk distribution and led a pilot for electric delivery vans in the UAE.

Samer Sabri

Group Chief Supply Chain Officer, Al Khayyat Investments (AKI)

Samer Sabri is the strategic force behind Al Khayyat Investments’ dynamic and diversified supply chain operations. As Group Chief Supply Chain Officer, he leads AKI’s logistics across retail, FMCG, pharmaceuticals, fitness, and e-commerce, overseeing one of the most sophisticated in-house operations in the region.

In 2024, Sabri spearheaded the launch of AKI’s state-of-the-art fulfilment and innovation centre in Dubai Industrial City—a one-million-square-foot hub that quadrupled the company’s UAE capacity to over 1.5 million units per day. Built with automation, real-time visibility systems, and sustainability at its core, the facility processes more than 17 million units monthly and maintains an industry-leading 98.5% on-time delivery rate. Its advanced systems include pick-to-light tech, drone inventory checks, and AI-driven routing, supported by a fleet of 150+ vehicles and over 78,000 pallet positions. Sabri’s leadership has transformed AKI’s supply chain into a regional benchmark for speed, agility, and green operations. His vision aligns closely with Dubai’s D33 economic agenda, enabling AKI to scale across the GCC, Iraq, and Egypt.

Simon Storesund

Chief Supply Chain Officer, Emirates Global Aluminium

Simon Storesund leads the supply chain for Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the UAE’s largest industrial company outside oil and gas. With 30+ years at Norway’s Norsk Hydro before joining EGA in 2022, he brings deep industry expertise in metal sourcing, trading, and procurement. Storesund’s mandate at EGA is strategic: to ensure the secure and responsible supply of raw materials like alumina while also developing new business opportunities. In 2023, he negotiated a landmark eight-year alumina supply agreement with Alcoa, making Alcoa the largest third-party supplier of alumina to EGA. This deal, commencing 2024, secures up to 15.6 million tons of alumina for EGA’s refinery and is aligned with EGA’s sustainability goals.

Storesund has also championed responsible sourcing and local value creation. Under his guidance, EGA joined the UAE’s national In-Country Value programme, aiming to double EGA’s economic contribution in its operating countries by 2040. Storesund’s impact is transformative, ensuring EGA’s supply chain is not only cost-effective and resilient but also sustainable and growth-oriented.

Stefan Sickel

Chief Supply Chain Officer, NMC Healthcare

Stefan Sickel oversees the supply chain for NMC Healthcare. At NMC, he is responsible for sourcing and delivering a vast range of medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, and equipment to NMC’s network of hospitals and clinics. Upon taking charge, Sickel led an end-to-end supply chain review as part of NMC’s post-restructuring strategy. He implemented best practices to centralise procurement, renegotiating contracts with key suppliers of medications and medical devices to achieve cost savings while ensuring reliable supply for critical care areas.

In 2024, Sickel’s initiatives bore fruit as NMC reported improved availability of essential drugs through strategic stockpiling and alternative supplier qualification that he had proactively championed. He introduced a just-in-time inventory model for fast-moving consumables, freeing up working capital without compromising on patient care needs. Sickel also played a significant role in deploying a new inventory management system integrated with NMC’s hospital information system, which reduced expiries and shortages by providing clinicians with real-time stock visibility. By reinforcing NMC’s supply chain backbone, Sickel helps doctors and nurses focus on patient care.