Dr. Talib Alhinai has joined Archer as its UAE Lead following his tenure with the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, a supervisory body reporting to the Emirate's Executive Council under the leadership of Crown Prince His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed bin Zayed. Alhinai will also continue in his role as the youngest Board Director of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and serve on its Audit & Risk Committee. Archer will further expand its presence in Abu Dhabi, building on its previously announced strategic partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) to establish a strong footprint in the UAE.
Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE: ACHR), a leader in electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, today announced Dr. Talib Alhinai as its UAE Lead. Dr. Alhinai, who currently serves on the Board of Directors for the GCAA, the UAE’s aviation regulator, will be responsible for spearheading the planned launch of Archer’s electric air taxis in the region.
Consortium led by ADIO that Archer announced last week as part of its Q3 '24 results. Through this consortium, Archer has already made significant progress in establishing the regulatory pathway, infrastructure and flight operations plans necessary to enable market entry as early as late next year.
Prior to Archer, Alhinai served as Director of Strategy at the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, a supervisory body reporting to the Executive Council under the command of the Crown Prince, His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed bin Zayed, where he worked on the emirate’s long-term strategic planning and performance review.
“As a leader who worked to advance Abu Dhabi’s strategic and executive plans in the service of its Executive Council led by His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed bin Zayed, Dr. Alhinai will be instrumental as we work towards our launch across the UAE, starting in Abu Dhabi as soon as next year,” said Nikhil Goel, Archer’s Chief Commercial Officer. “His background in aerial robotics and his expertise in aviation and national policy will help accelerate our launch of air taxi services in the region”.
Dr. Talib Alhinai commented, “The UAE is leading the way in accelerating the launch of electric air taxis and it is a cornerstone of Archer’s commercial launch plans. I’m proud to be joining to support their growth in the region. The team is talented, the tech is impressive, and we’ve got a big year ahead of us I’m excited to dig in”.
Alhinai has also held positions at McKinsey & Company, working across various international markets, with expertise in high-growth technology, sustainability, and advanced air mobility. He holds a Ph.D. in Aerial Robotics from Imperial College London and a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechatronic Engineering from the University of Manchester.