Ooredoo Maldives Appoints Palestinian National Shadi Qawasmi as Chief Executive Officer

Ooredoo Maldives has appointed Palestinian national Shadi Qawasmi as its new Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, marking a leadership transition at one of the country’s largest telecommunications providers.

Qawasmi brings more than a decade of leadership experience in telecommunications, strategy, and brand management to the role. He joined the Ooredoo Group in 2015 and has since held several senior positions, including Chief Commercial Officer and Sales Director at Ooredoo Palestine, as well as Head of Brand and Communication. During his tenure, he played a key role in driving market growth, introducing new technologies, and implementing modern operational changes within the company.

Prior to joining Ooredoo, Qawasmi gained professional experience in management consulting, business development, and marketing communications, where he worked on business strategy formulation and digital transformation initiatives. He holds a Master’s degree in Marketing Management from France’s EDHEC Business School and a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing Communications from Brigham Young University in the United States.

Ooredoo announced the appointment in a press release that also acknowledged the contributions of outgoing Managing Director and CEO Khalid Al-Hamadi. The company expressed gratitude for Khalid’s leadership, under which several major milestones were achieved, including the introduction of digital innovations such as the AI-powered customer service assistant “Evee.”

The company highlighted that during Khalid’s tenure, Ooredoo Maldives achieved 100 percent nationwide 4G+ coverage, expanded 5G services to 80 percent of the population, established the PEACE submarine cable, launched a Tier-3 standard data center, and connected the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi via a dedicated submarine cable. The period also saw strengthened partnerships with global brands including Mastercard, TikTok, WhatsApp Business, and Viber.

Additional achievements under Khalid’s leadership included securing a Guinness World Record for hosting the world’s largest underwater panel discussion in the Maldives, opening the Ooredoo office in Hulhumalé, and expanding corporate social responsibility initiatives such as support for the health sector and the provision of air ambulance services.

Ooredoo stated that under Qawasmi’s leadership, the company aims to further enhance its services and deliver more comprehensive and innovative digital solutions for customers across the Maldives.