Latest news with #Mujtaba
The National
2 days ago
- The National
'It's all a farce': Travel nightmare for Iraqis stranded by Israel-Iran war
The scenes outside Iraqi Airways offices in several countries have become all too familiar: angry travellers desperate to return home, shouting at employees, families waiting for hours and some even sleeping outside in hopes of securing a ticket. The air war between Israel and Iran has led to widespread airspace closures in several Middle East countries, including Iraq, as missiles soar across the sky. It has forced the cancellation and delay of hundreds of flights at airports, leaving thousands of travellers stranded abroad. 'The situation is absolutely ridiculous,' Iraqi citizen Mujtaba told The National as he stood outside an Iraqi Airways office in Beirut late on Wednesday. "It's all a farce." Along with two friends, Mujtaba, 26, left for Beirut in early June for the Eid Al Adha holiday. They were supposed to return on Monday. 'I have been here for four days now going back and forth,' he said. 'They are cheating us, there are families who ran out of money and others do not have anything to eat,' he added. Pressure to act Under mounting pressure to act, the Iraqi government is allowing flights in and out of the country only through Basra International Airport in the south. It has urged its citizens to arrange flights to any neighbouring countries, or to cross to Iraq by land. Authorities have also convinced Turkey, Jordan and Kuwait to ease visa regulations for Iraqis, so they can receive the documents on arrival and be able to cross borders. 'There are thousands of travellers we can't cope with,' an official with Iraqi Airways told The National. 'In some cases we need the government to reach agreements with states in order to allow us to use their airspace, or to land in their airports – that's why there are delays in getting them back." The Iraqi government on Saturday began arranging trips over land for Iraqi Hajj pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia. Iranian pilgrims were also taken home overland through Iraq. Many travellers have alleged that Iraqi Airways employees were taking advantage of the situation, demanding exorbitant prices for tickets. 'They asked us to pay about $850 only to secure a seat,' Mujtaba said. The Iraqi Airways official said they were inv e stigating such claims. Another traveller in Dubai, who requested anonymity, waited for three days to get his ticket. 'It was chaos over the past days, but thanks to the Iraqi consular and the embassy employees who oversaw the process today, they carefully checked the lists and co-ordinated with Baghdad on numbers and names," he said. Many Iraqis have turned to public Facebook groups in search of guidance on how to reach neighbouring countries by land. Some offered guidance on the best ways to send money to stranded families. The situation is further complicated by increased transport fees on land, making it difficult for those who managed to return by land to afford transport. The price of a seat in a taxi and SUV from Amman to Baghdad has jumped from $50 to between $250 and $300. Israel last Friday launched its largest ever attack on military and nuclear sites in Iran, killing senior commanders in the country's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as well as nuclear scientists, and damaging atomic sites such as Natanz and Isfahan. Israel described the operation as necessary to prevent Tehran from moving closer to acquiring a nuclear weapon. At least 585 people, including 239 civilians, have been killed and more than 1,300 wounded in Iraq since the outbreak of the confrontation, according to an Iranian human rights group in Washington. Iran has fired hundreds of missiles and drones in retaliatory strikes that have killed dozens of people in Israel and wounded hundreds more. Some have hit apartment buildings in central Israel, causing heavy damage, and air-raid sirens have repeatedly forced Israelis to run for shelter.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mujtaba Hamid Joins Booz Allen to Lead Product Strategy and Development
Longtime tech leader will build and scale product portfolio to accelerate mission outcomes MCLEAN, Va., February 13, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Advanced technology company Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE: BAH) announced today that Mujtaba Hamid has joined the firm as Executive Vice President of Product, overseeing a strategic portfolio of technology offerings designed to speed outcomes for the U.S. federal government. The company has identified, invested in, and scaled emerging tech across government for decades, catalyzing technologies like AI, cybersecurity and cloud that are now core to essential missions. Hamid will oversee the conceptualization, development, production, and delivery of Booz Allen's emerging products and solutions. This portfolio is being built by combining Booz Allen's advanced technology, deep understanding of mission, and proprietary IP with leading-edge dual use technology from its commercial partners. "Since joining Booz Allen I have been continually impressed by our advanced technology capabilities and world-class talent," said Bill Vass, CTO at Booz Allen. "We are driving innovation and results in quantum cryptography, generative AI, advanced manufacturing, autonomy, and more, resulting in countless breakthrough advancements and numerous patents. Integrating these technologies into new and existing products along with our commercial partners will rapidly accelerate outcomes for our clients. We are thrilled to have Mujtaba's technical experience driving this important work." Hamid has more than 25 years of experience building tech platforms, including nearly two decades at Microsoft where he led and scaled business sectors and drove strategic policy and innovation partnerships within the government and commercial industries. He was most recently general manager for mission infrastructure products in Microsoft's Cloud & AI division, where he focused on visioning and developing technology products for highly secured mission operations from edge to cloud. This included incubating a cloud-scale, AI-enabled simulation platform for rapid defense wargaming and planning. "Mujtaba's vision and leadership will help us bring the best of Booz Allen to a new era of transformation – leveraging our mission insights, advanced tech capabilities, and deep bench of highly technical talent to accelerate into the future," said Kristine Martin Anderson, Chief Operating Officer at Booz Allen. "Booz Allen has an unmatched vantage point on the scale and scope of advanced technologies needed to drive the U.S. forward," said Hamid. "I am honored to be part of this team bringing the best of industry innovation to these critical missions." Hamid serves on the board of the semiconductor degrees program at Purdue University and is a startup mentor for the Alchemist Accelerator program in Silicon Valley. He has an MBA from the University of Colorado and a BS in electrical engineering from Purdue University. About Booz Allen HamiltonBooz Allen is an advanced technology company delivering outcomes with speed for America's most critical defense, civil, and national security priorities. We build technology solutions using AI, cyber, and other cutting-edge technologies to advance and protect the nation and its citizens. By focusing on outcomes, we enable our people, clients, and their missions to succeed—accelerating the nation to realize our purpose: Empower People to Change the World®. With global headquarters in McLean, Virginia, our firm employs approximately 35,900 people globally as of December 31, 2024, and had revenue of $10.7 billion for the 12 months ended March 31, 2024. To learn more, visit (NYSE: BAH) BAHPR-CO View source version on Contacts Media Relations: Jessica Klenk, Klenk_Jessica@ Investor Relations: investor_relations@
