Emirates has appointed Abbas A Haji as vice president of hub operations for its SkyCargo division, effective from June 1, 2017.

According to Emirates, Haji will be managing SkyCargo’s hub operations at both Al Maktoum International Airport and Dubai International Airport.

Haji was previously vice president of Iran, Iraq and Central Asia. He joined the Emirates Group in 1977 and has worked at dnata cargo as well as in several positions across the group.

Emirates has also appointed Mohamed Khoory as manager of Iran and Sultan Alriyami as manager of Jordan and the West Bank.

“The Middle East’s market dynamics continually present us with unique challenges and opportunities,” said Thierry Antinori, executive vice president and chief commercial officer of Emirates. “All three UAE nationals who will be taking on new roles have a deep understanding of the business and operations at Emirates, from both the passenger and cargo side. We believe that this will strengthen our leadership team and will deliver significant benefits to maximize our commercial performance in the region.”

Revenue from operations in the Middle East market grew by 3.6% in 2016/2017, according to Emirates.