The group CEO of UAE telco e&, Hatem Dowidar, has announced that he is stepping down from his position at the end of March.

Dowidar confirmed his upcoming departure in a LinkedIn post yesterday (February 24) after six years in the post.

Dowidar will be replaced at the start of April by Masood M. Sharif Mahmood, the current CEO of e& UAE.

He confirmed that he will support Mahmood over the next five weeks to "ensure a smooth handover."

"With 2025 marking a record year for e&, I have decided to conclude my six-year tenure as Group CEO. I am honored to have led e& during a defining chapter, and I’m proud of what we have accomplished together. After more than ten years at the company, the Board and I have agreed that I will step down by the end of March," said Dowidar.

Dowidar joined e& in 2015 as group chief operating officer. He became group CEO of e& in May 2020.

e&, formerly Etisalat, serves more than 175 million customers in 38 markets across Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Central and Eastern Europe.