Who’s Who: Abdulaziz Al-Harbi, acting CEO of Saudi Arabian Mining Co. 

Abdulaziz Al-Harbi
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Updated 30 April 2021
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Who’s Who: Abdulaziz Al-Harbi, acting CEO of Saudi Arabian Mining Co. 

Abdulaziz Al-Harbi is the newly appointed acting chief executive officer of Saudi Arabian Mining Co. (Ma’aden).

Ma’aden is one of the fastest-growing mining companies in the world and the largest multi-commodity mining and metals company in the Middle East.

According to the company, Al-Harbi has more than 30 years’ experience in project management, planning and operations.

Prior to his appointment as acting CEO, Al-Harbi served as executive vice president for shared services & security.

Before that, he served as president for Ma’aden Bauxite and Aluminum Co. (MBAC) and the Ma’aden Aluminum Co.(MAC), US, which he led from project phase until they became operational.

Before that, Al-Harbi’s first role with Ma’aden was in 2007, when he served as president of the Ma’aden Phosphate Company.

Prior to joining Ma’aden, Al-Harbi worked at Saudi Arabian Fertilizer Co., an affiliate of Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC), as director general of operation, technical and expansion from 2002 to 2007.

From 1998-2002, he held the position of general manager of planning and operation at SABIC.

Al-Harbi is a member of the MBAC and MAC board of directors and its executive committee, and an alternate member of Ma’aden Rolling Co.’s board of directors.

He is the chairman of the ERADH board, a Saudi youth development and engagement program, and a member of Jubail City Council.

Al-Harbi holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from King Saud University, and a certificate in advanced management and leadership program from Oxford University.


Saudi Arabia champions AI and sustainable growth at UN tourism meeting in Kuwait

Updated 12 February 2026
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Saudi Arabia champions AI and sustainable growth at UN tourism meeting in Kuwait

  • Saudi Tourism Minister says tourism today accounts for approximately 10 percent of the world economy, contributing about $10 trillion to global GDP 

KUWAIT CITY: Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb has called for stronger international cooperation to build a tourism ecosystem that is integrated, resilient, and future-ready, the Saudi Press Agency reported Thursday.

In a opening address at the 52nd UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Middle East in Kuwait City, he noted that tourism is “no longer a peripheral activity but a massive engine of economic development.”

“With an estimated contribution exceeding $10 trillion to global GDP, tourism today accounts for approximately 10 percent of the world economy,” said Al-Khateeb, speaking as president of the 26th UN Tourism General Assembly. The three-day conference opened on Feb. 10.

He pointed to the Middle East’s exceptional recovery, which recorded a 39 percent increase in international arrivals in 2025 compared to 2019, welcoming nearly 100 million visitors last year.

The minister highlighted Saudi Arabia’s driving force behind these regional statistics, noting that the Kingdom now represents approximately 30% of the Middle East tourism market in both visitor numbers and spending.

“We are proud that Saudi tourism’s uninterrupted growth has become a driving force for regional tourism, and we look forward to continuing our close cooperation with UN Tourism to share our expertise with the world,” he said.

Focus on AI

Addressing the meeting’s central theme of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Al-Khateeb emphasized the need for responsible innovation. He described AI as a key enabler for growth but stressed that the “human touch” defining the hospitality sector must be maintained and the workforce protected.

On the sidelines of the regional commission, the minister met with counterparts from across the region to explore ways to promote regional cooperation and alignment to enhance resilience and build tourism industries that can drive inclusive economic and social development.

Al-Khateeb also met with leading investors from Kuwait to discuss investments in the Kingdom’s tourism sector and explore new opportunities to leverage Saudi Arabia’s integrated investment ecosystem, designed to enable regional and international investors to achieve sustainable, long-term value.

The 52nd UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Middle East is the first held in the region since the 26th UN Tourism General Assembly, hosted in Riyadh last November. 

That assembly resulted in the historic “Riyadh Declaration on the Future of Tourism,” which established a global consensus on sustainability, inclusive growth, and the responsible adoption of human-centric AI for the next fifty years.