Keynote Speakers
Keynote Speakers
Mr. David Edwards FRAeS
Chief Executive Royal Aeronautical Society United Kingdom
Mr. David Edwards is Chief Executive of the Royal Aeronautical Society, the only global organization serving the entire aerospace, aviation, and space community as both a Learned Society and a Professional Engineering Institution.
Having started learning to fly aged 14, working at a flying school to pay for the lessons. After a Transport Management degree at the University of Plymouth, he moved into aircraft operations, handling business jets at London’s Luton and Heathrow Airports.
His career’s since taken him into C-Level roles in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, for one of the world’s largest business jet operators, and for commercial airlines.
In 2013 he joined Qatar Airways as Executive Vice President, responsible for the airline’s charter flying and executive jet divisions. During his time with the airline, he led the $1.5Bn fleet purchase program of Gulfstream G500 and G650ER business jet aircraft, becoming the first commercial operator of the types worldwide.
In 2018 he joined The Air Charter Association as CEO, taking it through a change of brand and strategy, into one of the more powerful trade associations representing global aircraft charter businesses.
In 2021 he was appointed as Chief Executive of the Royal Aeronautical Society, a 157-year-old institution where he is responsible for implementing the Society’s strategy. As well as being an employee of the Society he has been a member since 1999, and Fellow since 2010.
Outside of work Dave is a trustee of Campaign for the Arts, a national campaign to make the arts accessible to all, he runs a little bit and sings a lot. He is a Freeman of the City of London as well as a Liveryman of the Honorable Company of Air Pilots.
Air Commodore Mohamed Al Siyabi
FRAeS, FIET,
PFHEA, MIEEE, CEng
Dean Military Technological College
Sultanate of Oman
Air Commodore Dr Mohamed Al Siyabi embarked on his journey with the Royal Air Force of Oman in 1989, commencing his career as an Engineering Officer. Dr Mohamed's academic journey showcases his dedication and pursuit of excellence. He successfully completed his bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Sultan Qaboos University in 1996. Further expanding his knowledge, he attained MSc in Communications Engineering from the University of Portsmouth in 2004, followed by a PhD in Communication Engineering from the University of Surrey in 2012. Additionally, he holds MSc in Military Studies from the Officers Staff College in Bahrain in 2015.
Throughout his 25-year tenure as an Engineering officer in various Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) stations, Dr Mohamed's contributions have been instrumental in upholding the maintenance engineering standards of the Air Force fleet, Communications and Radar facilities. In addition, he was Assistant Principal at the Air Force Technical College, overseeing the development of RAFO's skilled technical workforce.
Recognising his outstanding contributions to the field of engineering, Dr Mohamed has been bestowed with the esteemed titles of Chartered Engineer (CEng), a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society (FRAeS), a fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (FIET), and Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK (PFHEA). These accolades are a testament to his unwavering dedication and expertise. Dr Mohamed has an impressive track record of publishing papers in highly respected journals and presenting his research at various international conferences.
With his extensive academic qualifications, substantial managerial experience, and disciplined military background, Dr Mohamed currently serves as the Dean of the Military Technological College (MTC) in the Sultanate of Oman. Before his current role, he held the Vice Dean of Academic Affairs position for three years. Under his leadership as the EASA Accountable Manager, MTC has secured the renewal of its license as a Part 147 approved training organisation from both the Oman Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
Dr Mohamed Al Siyabi's impressive career trajectory exemplifies his commitment to engineering, education, research, and the military. His expertise and guidance continue to shape the Military Technological College's future and contribute to advancing engineering excellence in the Sultanate of Oman.
Dr. David Roberts
Aircraft Research Association (ARA)
Dr. David Roberts has been working at the Aircraft Research Association (ARA) for the past 10.5 years and holds the role of Team Leader within the Aerodynamics department. David’s team consists of multidisciplinary staff covering both experimental and numerical methods. Prior to becoming a Team Leader, David was a Project Supervisor in charge of leading multiple customer test campaigns. This focus on commercial customer testing still remains, however, one other major consideration is the development and deployment of advanced measurement techniques including unsteady pressure measurement and various optical methods including both steady and dynamic Pressure-Sensitive Paint as well as Particle Image Velocimetry. David’s testing focus at ARA is predominantly military platforms, ranging from 6th generation combat aircraft to missiles. Before working at ARA David completed a PhD entitled “Analysis and Control of Resonant Cavity Flows” at Cranfield University, where David worked in conjunction with both the UK MOD (CDE/DSTL) and also the USAF (EOARD/AFRL) researching high-speed cavity flows. David also holds an MEng degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Manchester and is a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society.
Dr. Houda Bdeiwi
Aircraft Research Association (ARA)
Houda Bdeiwi is a Senior Aerodynamics Engineer at the Aircraft Research Association (ARA) in the United Kingdom. She graduated with an MSc degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Technology of Compiegne in France, followed by an MSc in Advanced Computational Methods for Aeronautics at Imperial College of London in the UK. She joined ARA in 2017 and has led aerodynamic and structural analyses for multiple wind tunnel models and rigs. She has also been involved in multiple grant funded research projects. Her diverse research portfolio includes aircraft Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) modelling, future wing Hybrid Laminar Flow Control (HLFC) suction system and more recently, the development of novel computational methodologies for thrust reverser unit for turbofan engines. She has published and presented several conference papers on wing aeroelasticity and cutting edge computational modelling for thrust reverser unit models.