Tabreed, the Abu Dhabi based district cooling company formally known as National Central Cooling Company PJSC, has appointed Yousif Al Hammadi as chief executive officer, confirming on a permanent basis the role he had led in an interim capacity since January 2026. The company announced the appointment on 11 September 2026.
Al Hammadi becomes the first chief executive to be promoted from within the group, a signal of continuity as Tabreed pursues an expansion phase across the Gulf. He first joined the company in 2014, working across projects and business development, and was elevated to the executive management team in 2022 as chief asset management officer. In that role he helped steer several of the company's largest transactions, including the acquisition of the Downtown Dubai district cooling concession, the purchase of PAL Cooling Holding and the Palm Jebel Ali cooling concession.
Before joining the company he held roles across sovereign investment, the energy sector and government, a background that colleagues say gives him a detailed grasp of both the assets he now oversees and the policy environment in which they operate.
Tabreed runs one of the largest district cooling networks in the region, supplying chilled water to landmark developments across the United Arab Emirates and neighbouring markets. District cooling, which delivers centralised chilled water to buildings in place of individual air conditioning units, has become central to the Gulf's efforts to manage electricity demand and reduce emissions as populations grow and summers turn hotter. The business is listed on the Dubai Financial Market and has expanded steadily beyond its home market, with interests in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Egypt and India.
The confirmation follows a period in which Al Hammadi ran the business day to day while the board completed its search, and it ends the uncertainty that can accompany an extended interim arrangement. By selecting an internal candidate who helped assemble much of the current portfolio, the board has opted for continuity of strategy rather than a change of direction.
Demand for cooling across the Gulf is climbing steeply, driven by construction, tourism and rising temperatures, and providers are expected to keep consolidating smaller networks and bidding for concessions tied to new master planned communities, both areas where the company has been active. The task now facing Al Hammadi is to convert recent acquisitions into steady returns while positioning the company for the next wave of concession awards across the region.
