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SAUDI ARABIA - Economy

Riyadh Al Najjar

Chairman of the Board & KSA Country Senior Leader, PwC Middle East

Bio

Riyadh Al-Najjar has over 25 years of professional experience in management consulting across several industries, starting with transformation management, strategy development, corporate planning to implementation across several industries, including the government and public sector, financial services, healthcare, and oil and gas. He has led multiple large and complex engagements, assisting clients with the setup and operations of their transformation management offices and project management offices.

"Our team in Saudi has over 2000 people and 56% are Saudi nationals. We continue to invest in our people."
TBY talks to Riyadh Al Najjar, Chairman of the Board & KSA Country Senior Leader of PwC Middle East, about the state of the Saudi Arabian economy, human capital, and expectations for the coming year.
How does PwC align with Vision 2030, and what role does the company play in contributing to Saudi Arabia’s economic growth?

PwC Middle East’s commitment to the Kingdom started long before Vision 2030 and we have continued to be a key enabler and contributor to its transformative journey. We’ve identified gaps to meet its diverse skill set demands and located the required expertise within our organisation. PwC is able to leverage its in-house global expertise to match diverse skill demands from key sectors including sports, tourism, healthcare and many others, aligning with the Kingdom’s ambitious goals. With massive projects totaling around USD 1.1 trillion in Saudi Arabia, we’ve strategically grown our capabilities to support this growth and we were one of the very first companies to establish our Regional Headquarters in the Kingdom. This expansion has transformed our approach to client services, incorporating more talent and technology, and expanding our presence across the Kingdom. We now have six offices with potentially more in the future. Our commitment to Saudi Arabia is unwavering. We were one of the first companies to establish our regional headquarters and continuously invest in local talent, reflecting our dedication to the Saudi market.


What is PwC’s approach to human capital, and what initiatives does the company promote in the field of HR?

Our team in Saudi has over 2000 people and 56% are Saudi nationals. We continue to invest in our people. We’ve developed targeted programmes to attract, develop and retain Saudi talent to become PwC ambassadors Our initiatives include programmes dedicated to Saudi nationals and women within the firm, with 41% women in our Middle East team and 32% in Saudi. We understand the requirements and work diligently to build the necessary capabilities and talent to drive progress in the region and align with Vision 2030.

In which other specific segment are you currently witnessing an increased demand for your services?

We have placed an emphasis on tourism, heritage, culture, health, and transportation. In addition we have committed to developing a regional office network in addition to our larger, more established Riyadh and Jeddah offices. We have seen more activities in digital transformation, sustainability, infrastructure, and urban and city planning. For these we realise the need for top-tier talent, strong leadership, and robust capacity-building to achieve high quality successful outcomes for our clients in these areas..

What are your expectations and targets for the coming year?

We’ve witnessed significant growth in 2022, a great milestone for all. PwC recently inaugurated its new regional headquarters in Riyadh and is investing in a flagship office in Riyadh which will have the latest designs of Experience Center. We have also set up an Assurance Centre of Excellence to support our Assurance services in the Kingdom.  With all of the current projects ongoing to execute Vision 2030, we plan to continue to be a part of this. Furthermore, we’re aligning with our global strategy, the ‘New Equation,’ channelling worldwide disruptions directly to our clients. We continuously track the Kingdom’s agenda and global mega trends. Our strategy revolves around identifying emerging trends, grasping shifting dynamics, and proactively alerting our clients. Moving forward, our utmost priority is to uphold the trust we’ve earned, fostering enduring results for our clients. It’s not just about project wins; it’s the tangible and sustained outcomes we pursue. We’re committed to delivering ongoing value and maintaining trust. This requires rigorous monitoring of our performance, ensuring client satisfaction, and actively seeking client feedback, which is a routine practice. With these elements and our talented team, we anticipate further growth this year.

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