The Mobility Think Tank
The Middle East's Leading Independent Business Travel, Mobility & Travel Transformation Consultancy
The Mobility Think Tank was established to bring world-class business travel, mobility, procurement, payments and travel transformation consulting to the Middle East. Founded by internationally recognised industry leaders Sabah Kahoul and Dominic Short, the firm combines more than six decades of experience across corporate travel procurement, travel management, meetings and events, corporate payments, sustainability, travel technology, data analytics and business transformation. The company was founded following the successful delivery of strategic consulting assignments for major multinational and regional organisations, including the Al-Futtaim Group in the UAE.
Unlike traditional travel management companies, technology providers or procurement intermediaries, The Mobility Think Tank operates as a fully independent advisory business. This independence enables clients to benefit from objective, data-driven recommendations that are aligned exclusively with their strategic business objectives. By combining global best practices with deep regional expertise, the firm helps organisations improve governance, optimise costs, accelerate digital transformation, enhance traveller experience and embed sustainability into their mobility programmes.
Today, The Mobility Think Tank supports organisations across the Middle East, Europe and international markets in designing and delivering future-ready travel and mobility programmes that create measurable business value.
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Leadership Team
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Sabah Kahoul
Co-Founder & Managing Director
Sabah Kahoul is one of Europe's leading authorities in business travel procurement, travel management and strategic mobility transformation. With more than 25 years of international experience, Sabah has built a distinguished career helping multinational organisations optimise travel programmes, strengthen governance, deliver savings, improve traveller experience and implement sustainable mobility strategies.
Throughout her career, she has held senior procurement and travel leadership positions within some of the world's leading organisations. As EMEA Travel Category Manager at Microsoft, Sabah managed annual travel expenditure exceeding several €100 million, leading supplier negotiations, organisational transformation, category strategy development and the deployment of travel technologies across multiple European markets. She successfully aligned procurement operations across nine countries and led online booking tool implementations that exceeded adoption targets while delivering measurable improvements in compliance and cost management.
She later became EMEA Head of Travel & MICE Category at Xchanging Procurement Services, where she was responsible for the global travel and meetings category for L'Oréal, managing expenditure of approximately €150 million. In this role, she developed and executed multi-year category strategies, coordinated international procurement teams and implemented global travel and meetings transformation programmes.
In 2014, Sabah founded Business Travel Purchase Consulting , which rapidly became one of Europe's most respected independent travel procurement consultancies. Over the past decade she has advised multinational corporations, global healthcare leaders, industrial manufacturers, government organisations and United Nations agencies on travel procurement, supplier management, digital transformation, sustainability, programme governance and corporate mobility strategy.
Strategic Consulting & Transformation Experience
Recent consulting assignments include:
Bosch / Keenfinity (2024-2026)
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Global travel category management
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Travel management company sourcing and tender process
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Travel programme deployment
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Global travel policy redesign
Ferrero (2021-2024)
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Strategic sourcing across air, hotel, rail, fleet and mobility categories
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Global mobility procurement programme
Al-Futtaim Group (2023-2024)
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Comprehensive audit of travel procurement
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Travel policy review
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Process optimisation
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Strategic recommendations for programme transformation
Unilabs (2023-2024)
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Travel procurement advisory
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Travel management company implementation
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Programme transformation support
Air Liquide (2023)
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Global travel strategy development
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Airline negotiations
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Travel policy redesign
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Category optimisation
La Poste Group (2020-2021)
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Travel & MICE category management
Roche France (2020)
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Traveller communication and compliance programme
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Best practice travel education campaign
Litasco SA (2019)
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Travel audit and programme assessment
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Travel technology review
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Online booking strategy
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Travel operating model redesign
World Intellectual Property Organization (United Nations) (2019)
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Change management programme
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Global online booking tool deployment
Valeo (2017-2018)
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Global airline negotiations
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Travel management company strategy
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Online booking tool deployment across multiple countries
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Travel procurement transformation
Allnex (2014-2018)
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Global travel transformation programme
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Worldwide agency transition
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Global sourcing across airline, hotel, car rental and agency categories
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Online booking tool implementation
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Travel Manager coaching and governance improvement
Industry Leadership
Sabah currently serves as:
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President of the Association of Swiss Travel Management (ASTM)
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Expert Lecturer in Mobility Procurement and Travel Management at ESCAET, France
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International conference speaker and moderator
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Strategic advisor to multinational procurement and travel organisations
She holds an Executive MBA in Procurement Engineering and Management from the Institut Léonard de Vinci in Paris and a Master's Degree in English from the University of Algiers.
Dominic Short
Co-Founder & Senior Project Director
Dominic Short is a highly respected travel industry executive and consultant with more than 35 years of experience spanning travel management, airline sales, corporate payments, strategic sourcing, meetings and events, travel technology, analytics and programme transformation.
His unique expertise combines supplier-side, buyer-side and consulting experience, enabling him to provide organisations with highly practical and commercially effective solutions that balance traveller experience, procurement objectives and business requirements.
Before becoming an independent consultant, Dominic served as Global Category Manager Travel for Takeda Pharmaceuticals, where he managed a global travel spend portfolio exceeding €300 million. He was responsible for defining and implementing the company's worldwide travel strategy, overseeing supplier relationships, travel technology initiatives, governance structures and programme optimisation across multiple regions.
Prior to Takeda, Dominic was:
CEO, traXess AG (2011-2014)
Dominic led the transformation of the company from a traditional service provider into a strategic travel consulting and travel analytics business. He played a key role in developing data intelligence solutions that helped corporations gain enhanced visibility into travel spend, supplier performance and traveller behaviour.
Managing Director, MCI Group Zurich (2014-2015)
Responsible for leading a team of more than 20 staff and 50 freelancers while delivering approximately 50 international events annually for multinational clients.
Global Account Manager, AirPlus International (2008-2011)
Led the implementation of multinational payment programmes for major Swiss and German corporations, helping organisations modernise travel payments and expense management processes.
Swissair (1989-2001)
Managed strategic corporate accounts and developed extensive expertise in airline sales, commercial negotiations and corporate travel programme management.
Strategic Consulting & Transformation Experience
Recent consulting assignments include:
Bosch / Keenfinity (2024-2026)
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Global travel sourcing strategy
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Travel management company tender process
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Travel policy redesign
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Programme transformation
Ferrero (2023-2024)
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Global payment programme deployment
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Implementation across 50 countries
Société Générale (2023-2024)
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Global travel management company sourcing
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International implementation programme
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Governance design
Al-Futtaim Group (2023-2024)
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Travel category audit
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Procurement assessment
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Process review
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Travel policy analysis
Unilabs (2023-2024)
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Travel procurement support
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New travel management company implementation
Corporate Rates Club / CDS Groupe (2024)
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Strategic growth advisory
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Swiss market expansion strategy
World Intellectual Property Organization (United Nations) (2019)
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Global change management programme
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Travel technology adoption strategy
Litasco (2019)
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Travel programme audit
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Digital transformation roadmap
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Strategic recommendations
Areas of Expertise
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Global Travel Procurement
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Travel Management Company Sourcing
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Corporate Payments
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Digital Transformation
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Travel Technology Deployment
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Data Analytics & Reporting
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Meetings & Events Strategy
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Change Management
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Supplier Negotiations
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Global Programme Implementation
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Governance & Compliance
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Travel Policy Design
Dominic holds an Executive MBA in Marketing from ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences and a Bachelor's Degree in Transport and Business Administration.
He has also served as an industry educator and advisor, supporting the development of future travel management professionals and contributing to thought leadership across the global travel industry.
What Makes The Mobility Think Tank Different
Independent Advisory Model
The Mobility Think Tank is deliberately independent of travel suppliers, technology providers and commercial incentives. This allows the firm to offer truly objective advice that is driven entirely by client requirements and business outcomes.
Deep Strategic Consulting Experience
Between them, Sabah Kahoul and Dominic Short have led and delivered transformation programmes for global organisations including Microsoft, L'Oréal, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Ferrero, Bosch, Air Liquide, Valeo, Al-Futtaim Group, Société Générale, Roche, Unilabs and United Nations organisations.
Proven Digital Transformation Expertise
The leadership team has successfully delivered:
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Global online booking tool deployments
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Travel management company transformations
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Corporate payment programme implementations
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Travel analytics programmes
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Travel technology migrations
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Change management programmes
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Global policy harmonisation initiatives
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Procurement transformation projects
Regional Knowledge, Global Perspective
The firm uniquely combines international best practice with a deep understanding of Middle Eastern business culture, procurement frameworks, stakeholder expectations and mobility challenges.
Sustainability & Future-Ready Mobility
The Mobility Think Tank helps organisations integrate sustainability, governance, traveller wellbeing and ESG objectives into practical mobility strategies that deliver measurable results.
Our Mission
To be the most trusted independent business travel and mobility consultancy in the Middle East, helping organisations transform travel into a strategic asset that drives operational excellence, financial performance, traveller satisfaction, sustainability and long-term business value.
We do not simply optimise travel programmes. We transform the way organisations manage mobility.
