Who’s Who: Patrick Raupach, partner and the global public sector lead at Portas Consulting

Patrick Raupach
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Updated 31 October 2023
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Who’s Who: Patrick Raupach, partner and the global public sector lead at Portas Consulting

Riyadh-based Patrick Raupach is a partner and the global public sector lead at Portas Consulting, a management consulting firm specialized in the sport sector.

He has spearheaded numerous transformation strategies for clients in the public and private sectors, including a long-term program for the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee, and has played a leading role in drawing up action plans for major cities and several top-tier sports federations.

Raupach has also been involved in market-entry strategies and commercial business planning for global private sporting organizations and helped set up a sports diplomacy program between the US and Saudi Arabia.

Between 2016 and 2019, he was a global strategy group manager at KPMG in Riyadh, working as the key account manager for large public sector bodies and on industry projects in areas such as healthcare, automotive, and economic development.

From 2011 to 2016, he was the Gulf Cooperation Council region’s project manager for German development agency Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), operating between Eschborn in Germany and Riyadh. He managed a portfolio of government-to-government advisory projects across the GCC and led numerous consulting engagements.

In addition, he provided advisory services to government clients on housing, energy efficiency, banking, and economic development initiatives, and managed the incorporation of the GIZ branch in Saudi Arabia.

Raupach gained master’s degrees in international relations and public sector management and law and economics from Leipzig University, in Germany.

With a passion for rugby, he has been chairman of Riyadh Rugby Club for the past three years. He is also head of the competitions committee at the Saudi Arabian Rugby Federation and has represented the Kingdom in several international matches.

 


Saudi Film Festival to return in April with focus on Korean cinema

Since its launch in 2008, the Saudi Film Festival has played a central role in nurturing local and Gulf cinema. (Supplied)
Updated 15 February 2026
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Saudi Film Festival to return in April with focus on Korean cinema

  • Ahmed Al-Mulla, founder and director of the Saudi Film Festival, said in a statement: “We’re excited to welcome filmmakers to our annual gathering. Our doors are open to all creators, and filmmakers remain at the heart of everything we do

DHAHRAN: The Saudi Film Festival, organized by the Cinema Association in partnership with the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture and supported by the Saudi Film Commission, has announced that it will launch at Ithra in Dhahran between April 23-29.

This year’s festival explores the theme of “Cinema of the Journey,” presenting a selection of Arab and international films, both short and feature-length, that center on journeys and movement as essential storytelling elements. 

Since its launch in 2008, the Saudi Film Festival has played a central role in nurturing local and Gulf cinema. (Supplied)

The program includes road movies, travel narratives and films where physical or emotional journeys drive the narrative.

The theme encourages Saudi filmmakers to explore this subject through their own perspectives. It positions cinema itself as an act of continuous transition, where identity, place, and time converge to shape the human experience.

FASTFACTS

• This year’s Saudi Film Festival will explore the theme of ‘Cinema of the Journey,’ presenting a selection of Arab and international films that center on journeys and movement as essential storytelling elements.

• The program includes road movies, travel narratives and films where physical or emotional journeys drive the narrative.

Following last year’s focus on Japanese cinema, the festival will present a special “Spotlight on Korean Cinema” this year.

Ahmed Al-Mulla, founder and director of the Saudi Film Festival, said in a statement: “We’re excited to welcome filmmakers to our annual gathering. Our doors are open to all creators, and filmmakers remain at the heart of everything we do. This year’s festival creates an atmosphere filled with inspiration, idea exchange, and shared learning. It’s a celebration of cinematic creativity for everyone.”

Tariq Al-Khawaji, deputy director of the festival, added: “At Ithra, we’re proud of our longstanding partnership with the Cinema Association. It has enabled the festival’s growth and thematic diversity year after year, which we see clearly in how we empower filmmakers and create opportunities to engage with global cinema. 

“The festival continues to grow across all areas, from preparations and participation to industry expectations locally and regionally. That makes attention to every detail essential.”

Since its launch in 2008, the Saudi Film Festival has played a central role in nurturing local and Gulf cinema. After intermittent early editions, it has now established itself as an annual platform for narrative and documentary competitions, industry programs and project markets.

By bringing together emerging and established filmmakers in Dhahran each year, the festival strengthens Saudi Arabia’s growing presence on the global film stage.