New Advisory Voices Join Dubai Airports to Boost Accessibility

Dubai Airports, the operator of the busiest international airport, has enlisted Paralympian Jessica Smith, disability rights expert Fatma Al Jassim, and the advocacy foundation, Team AngelWolf, as strategic advisors. This move is a significant step toward making Dubai International (DXB) the world's most accessible and inclusive airport.

The new advisors will leverage their expertise and advocacy to help Dubai Airports identify gaps, challenge assumptions, and co-create meaningful solutions for accessible travel.

This collaboration reflects Dubai Airports’ vision that true accessibility extends beyond infrastructure and is rooted in lived experiences and direct community input, ensuring that solutions are shaped by the real-life experiences of people with Determination.

Majed Al Joker, Chief Operating Officer at Dubai Airports, said: “True inclusion begins with listening. By focusing our work on the lived experiences of our guests, we can challenge our own assumptions and co-create an airport experience that moves us closer to becoming the world’s most inclusive hub.”

Together, these three advisors bring a wealth of lived experience and advocacy to DXB. Smith is an award-winning disability inclusion consultant and former Paralympian who represented Australia at the 2004 Paralympic Games. Al Jassim is an Emirati pioneer in disability inclusion. Team AngelWolf is a Dubai-based family foundation known for achieving multiple Guinness World Records through inclusive teamwork.

The new collaboration marks a new step in Dubai Airports' mission to build a more inclusive future for the aviation industry. As the first international airport globally to be designated a Certified Autism Centre, awarded by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES), DXB has already trained more than 53,000 employees in practices for individuals with hidden disabilities.

The airport is a key partner in Dubai's broader ambition to become a disability-friendly city. This vision gained momentum when the city was named as the first Certified Autism Destination in the Eastern Hemisphere earlier this year.