Airbnb Appoints Ahmad Al-Dahle as CTO
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 14 2026
0mins
Should l Buy ABNB?
Airbnb Co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky shared the following email with employees: "Hey team, I'm excited to share that Ahmad Al-Dahle is joining as our new Chief Technology Officer. Ahmad is one of the world's leading experts in AI. He joins us from Meta, where he led Generative AI and the team behind the Llama family of open source models. I've known Ahmad for a couple of years, and I want to share more about who he is and why he's the right leader to join Airbnb at such a pivotal moment... He studied engineering at the University of Waterloo, and in 2005, while still a student, he began working at Apple on the iPhone, two years before it launched. After graduating, he joined full time. At Apple, Ahmad worked on the frontier of technology. He was one of the core technologists behind the iPhone's display and multitouch systems. He later worked in Apple's core technology platform group, shipping major features in nearly a dozen devices, including the first Apple Watch. In 2014, Ahmad created and led Apple's autonomous technology group, responsible for developing the core AI systems for the company's self-driving car project. In 2020, Ahmad joined Meta to lead mapping and applied AI within Reality Labs. In early 2023, following the launch of ChatGPT, he founded Meta's Generative AI group. He led the launch of Llama, a family of open-source AI models downloaded over one billion times with more than 60,000 derivative models, helping catalyze the modern open-source AI movement. He also led the teams bringing AI features to Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp... I couldn't be more excited to welcome Ahmad to Airbnb. I'll be introducing him tomorrow during our World@ meeting. Please join me in giving him a warm welcome. I can't wait for what we'll build together, and how we can make the world feel a little more human."
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Analyst Views on ABNB
Wall Street analysts forecast ABNB stock price to rise
29 Analyst Rating
12 Buy
16 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 124.970
Low
107.00
Averages
144.85
High
180.00
Current: 124.970
Low
107.00
Averages
144.85
High
180.00
About ABNB
Airbnb, Inc. operates a global platform for stays and experiences. The Company’s marketplace model connects hosts and guests online or through mobile devices to book spaces and experiences around the world. The Company has built its platform to onboard new hosts, especially those who previously had not considered hosting. It partners with hosts throughout the process of setting up their listing and provides them with a suite of tools to manage their listings, including scheduling, merchandising, integrated payments, community support, host protection, pricing guidance, and feedback from reviews. Its Website and mobile applications provide its guests with a way to explore a variety of homes and experiences and an easy way to book them. Its technology platform powers its two-sided marketplace and enables its global network of hosts and guests. It owns a trademark portfolio with protection in 220 countries in which it operates for its primary brands, AIRBNB, and its Belo logo.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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