Readers honor flydubai captain and celebrate Emirati's election to IMF board
Flydubai captain Smit Machchhar's account of surviving a cockpit attack drew tributes from readers in The National's October 22, 2026, letters. Contributors also welcomed Ali Alhosani's election as the IMF's first Emirati executive director and urged medical oversight as the UAE prepares to package weight-loss medicines.
Omar Al Nuaimi
Tributes after Machchhar's interview
Machchhar's October 19 conversation with Mina Al-Oraibi prompted readers to praise both his actions during the attack and his outlook afterward. Joey Habgood highlighted the captain's words: "It's about moving forward, not staying stuck in the moment." Habgood saw that attitude as a choice of gratitude rather than bitterness.
Divyanshi wrote that Machchhar had fought back despite the fear he must have felt. Hanna Alexandria Abordo, who had followed the story from the outset, welcomed the interview and wished him a full and speedy recovery. Vipin praised his composure and commitment to protecting passengers, calling him "more than a pilot" and "a real-life hero."
The attack occurred on September 30, 2026, aboard Flight 1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 172 passengers and eight crew members. First officer Hamam al-Hammami used the cockpit crash axe to attack Machchhar, seriously wounding him, and put the aircraft into a steep descent. Israeli and UAE officials described the incident as an attempted terrorist attack.
In less than a minute during the struggle, the plane fell from approximately 34,000 feet to about 17,000 feet and reached an estimated speed of 600 mph. Flying beyond its speed limit caused structural damage, including the detachment of most of the rudder. The flight diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia; all 180 people aboard survived.
Authorities arrested al-Hammami after landing. The 29-year-old Omani national had joined flydubai in February 2026. Israel joined a UAE investigation examining the incident, motive, weapon and possible terrorism connection. UAE prosecutors said al-Hammami had intended to carry out a suicide attack by crashing the plane into a terminal at Ben Gurion Airport.
Israel subsequently halted all flydubai flights to the country for six days. After receiving medical clearance to travel, Machchhar and the first officer were flown from Saudi Arabia to the UAE on the morning of October 1, 2026.
Alhosani's election draws congratulations
The National's October 16 report on Ali Alhosani becoming the first Emirati elected executive director at the International Monetary Fund drew messages of national pride. Luca Barton Conti of Calolziocorte, Italy, expressed confidence that the appointment would enhance the UAE's international standing. Dubai reader Adnan Feroz saw Alhosani as someone young Arab finance professionals could look up to. Pratik Das of Dubai and Marsha Lipton of Abu Dhabi also offered congratulations.
Alhosani's seat carries responsibility for representing the economic and financial interests of the Arab Group countries and the Maldives on the IMF Executive Board, according to the UAE Ministry of Finance. The board has 25 executive directors, chosen either by individual member countries or by groups of countries. Alhosani said the fund's lending capacity was nearly $1 trillion.
His move to executive director follows service as the IMF's alternate executive director beginning in 2021. Earlier positions included adviser to the executive director at the World Bank Group and portfolio manager at the International Finance Corporation in Washington, D.C.
The election also comes as the UAE has secured hosting rights for the 2029 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the IMF.
Medical guidance urged for weight-loss treatment
Plans to package Mounjaro and Foundayo in the UAE prompted Bengaluru, India, reader K Ragavan to call for a broader response to obesity. Responding to Shireena Al Nowais's October 20 article, he advocated healthier lifestyles, better access to suitable treatment and greater awareness of obesity's long-term effects. He said medicines could support eligible patients but should be used under qualified healthcare professionals' guidance, with safety and each patient's health needs taken into account.
The packaging plans stem from an agreement between Eli Lilly and Mubadala Bio to localize packaging and logistics for Lilly's GLP-1 medicines. According to Lana Time News, operations will be based at a 125,000-square-meter facility in KEZAD, Abu Dhabi, with packaging, warehousing and contract manufacturing capabilities.
Mubadala Bio's Hamad Almarzooqi and Eli Lilly's Nabil Daoud signed the agreement, which was announced at the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit 2026.
The UAE was an early launch market for Mounjaro, or tirzepatide, in August 2022. Abu Dhabi's Department of Health introduced its Personalised Weight Management Program in June 2025. On April 3, 2026, the Emirates Drug Establishment approved Lilly's oral weight-loss medicine Foundayo, or orforglipron, making the UAE the second country to register it.
