MOROCCO, April 4, 2006. As part of its international development and the expansion in North Africa, Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has appointed Mr. Abbas Al Ali as its new country manager for Morocco.

Following Etihad's announcement that it will open a new four times a week route to Casablanca from June 2006, Al Ali, a UAE national, will be responsible for business development, marketing and sales for that market. 'I am delighted to have been given this exciting opportunity to create and develop new business opportunities for Etihad in Morocco. There has always been demand for air travel between the Middle East and North Africa, and with a new office and team in Casablanca we will be able to expand our operations apace,' says Al Ali.

Abbas Al Ali has more than 15 years of experience in the airline industry, and has held several key positions in the UAE. Al Ali joined Etihad in 2004 and previously held the role of Etihad's sales manager for Sharjah and the Northern Emirates, prior to that he served with DNATA and Emirates Airline, both in the UAE.

'Abbas Al Ali's appointment, and the opening of the new Abu Dhabi to Casablanca service, illustrates Etihad's growing ambitions for North Africa. Mr. Al Ali has substantial experience and knowledge of the travel industry, and he will oversee Etihad's development in Morocco. Etihad's operations in the region will continue to grow, offering business and leisure travellers a frequent quality service,' said Ian Lovelock, Regional Manager, Middle East and Africa.

Etihad Airways will be commencing operations to Morocco effective from 1 June 2006, and the world's leading airline will shortly be opening its new Casablanca office where Al Ali and the Etihad Morocco team will be based.

The new Etihad route will be operated by Etihad's luxuriously-appointed A330-200 aircraft. The A330-200 offers Guests the choice of two Zones, with 22 seats in Pearl and 240 seats in Coral Zone. The aircraft provides a cargo capacity of 15 tonnes with a full passenger load on each flight.

'We anticipate strong demand for this route due to the Middle East and North Africa sharing Arabic culture and language. Furthermore, Casablanca is Morocco's largest city with a population of nearly 3.5 million, which ensures great trade potential across the Middle East, North Africa and Levant,' concluded Al Ali.

The new service will operate between Abu Dhabi International Airport and Casablanca's Mohammed V Airport, every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.