RAKTDA EXPANDS LEADERSHIP WITH KEY APPOINTMENTS

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority has appointed Emma Campbell as Chief Marketing Officer and Maha Kassim as Senior Director, People & Culture. Campbell will lead global marketing strategy, while Kassim will drive organisational transformation. Both bring extensive international experience, strengthening RAKTDA’s leadership as it targets 3.5 million annual visitors by 2030.

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) has strengthened its executive leadership team with the appointments of Emma Campbell as Chief Marketing Officer and Maha Kassim as Senior Director, People & Culture. The move comes as the emirate pursues its ambitious target of welcoming 3.5 million visitors annually by 2030.  

Campbell will oversee RAKTDA’s global marketing and communications strategy, leading destination branding, international campaigns and strategic communications to elevate Ras Al Khaimah’s global profile. She brings more than two decades of international experience across tourism, destination marketing and strategic communications. Most recently, she served at the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi, where she managed destination marketing across 26 international markets. Her tenure included spearheading global campaigns featuring Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky, and launching the Saadiyat Cultural District campaign.  

Prior to Abu Dhabi, Campbell was Chief Marketing Officer at Tourism Fiji, where she led the award-winning Open for Happiness campaign and drove the destination’s brand and digital transformation post-pandemic. Her earlier career spans senior leadership roles at Museums Victoria, Hallmark Cards Australasia and VisitScotland, underscoring her breadth of expertise in brand building and cultural marketing.  

Meanwhile, Kassim will lead RAKTDA’s people strategy, culture and transformation agenda, ensuring the organisation is equipped to support its growth trajectory. With more than 25 years of experience across the MENA region, she is recognised for aligning people strategy with business priorities to deliver sustainable change. At Aujan Coca-Cola, she directed enterprise-wide talent and transformation initiatives across multiple markets. Her career also includes senior roles at AstraZeneca, Aramex International and PepsiCo, where she developed deep expertise in organisational design, leadership development, talent management, culture transformation and HR digitisation.  

Phillipa Harrison, CEO of RAKTDA, welcomed the appointments, stating: “As Ras Al Khaimah continues to grow as a global tourism destination, attracting exceptional talent is critical to delivering our long-term vision. Emma and Maha each bring outstanding international experience, fresh perspectives and proven leadership that will strengthen both our destination brand and our organisation as we continue shaping the future of tourism in the emirate.”  

The appointments highlight RAKTDA’s commitment to building a world-class leadership team capable of driving both brand visibility and organisational excellence, reinforcing Ras Al Khaimah’s position as one of the Middle East’s fastest-growing tourism destinations.