Paul Griffiths

Paul Griffiths is a British businessman and musician born October 16, 1957, who was appointed by the Sustainable Markets Initiative in January 2026 as CEO Champion of its flagship Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Pathfinder Initiative. Griffiths is the CEO of Dubai Airports, leading the world's busiest international airport, a position he has held since October 2007. Under his leadership, Dubai Airports has achieved Level 4 "Transformation" accreditation from Airports Council International (ACI), a recognition reserved for the top 5% of airports worldwide.

Griffiths' appointment signals a global push to accelerate aviation's journey towards reducing emissions, leveraging industry expertise from the world's busiest international airport. The SAF Pathfinder Initiative, which Griffiths now leads, unites key stakeholders from across the aviation, energy, finance and policy sectors, with its primary focus on mobilizing investment, driving demand and advocating for harmonized global policies that support the production and adoption of SAF. Paul Griffiths' leadership in this initiative is backed by his strong track record in sustainability.

Career History

• CEO, Dubai Airports (October 2007–present)
• Managing Director, London Gatwick Airport (approximately 2004-2007)
• Board Director of the Virgin Travel Group, overseeing commercial activities of Virgin Atlantic Airways and Virgin Trains (1990-2004)
• Marketing Manager, Dragonair in Hong Kong (1986-1990)
• Contracts Executive, OSL/Wings travel group (1977)

Educational Background: Griffiths studied both music and computer science. He was educated at Parkside Preparatory School and Richard Hale School in Hertford, and holds the Associate of the Royal College of Music (ARCM) and Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music (LRAM) diplomas.

What Paul Griffiths could bring to the SAF Pathfinder Initiative: Griffiths brings unparalleled expertise in managing the world's busiest airport system while driving sustainability innovation. His demonstrated ability to balance rapid operational growth—doubling Dubai Airport's passenger capacity while maintaining ACI's highest sustainability standards—positions him uniquely to unlock the systemic changes SAF requires. His decades navigating commercial aviation across multiple geographies and his proven track record in infrastructure transformation and stakeholder alignment align perfectly with SMI's mission to mobilize investment and drive policy harmonization for SAF adoption at scale.