His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb is Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism, as well as holding positions and Chairman of the Saudi Fund for Development, and the Quality of Life Program.

Under His Excellency’s leadership, the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Heritage (the predecessor to the Ministry of Tourism) launched Saudi Arabia’s first international tourism visa in 2019 and laid the foundations for Saudi tourism product development. More than half a million tourist visas were issued within the first six months, making Saudi Arabia the fastest growing tourist destination in the world in the period prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ministry of Tourism and the Saudi Tourism Authority were established by Royal Decree in February 2020 with the aim of developing the sector to play a full role in realising Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals of a thriving economy and vibrant society. His Excellency also chairs the Tourism Development Fund, launched in summer 2020 to facilitate investor access to high-potential tourism investments across the Kingdom.

As Minister of Tourism, His Excellency has delivered initiatives aimed at strengthening the sector globally and tackling shared challenges. The Kingdom launched Sustainable Tourism Global Center at COP26. The Center is a global coalition to enable tourism’s transition to net zero. Saudi Arabia has also pledged $100M pledge to the World Bank to develop the first multi-donor trust fund devoted to supporting the development of tourism.

His Excellency is an experienced leader of complex projects that aim to drive social and economic transformation. Prior to his appointment to government, His Excellency spent over 25 years in the investment and financial services industry, where he successfully established, managed and restructured multiple private-sector entities. During this part of his career, His Excellency established Jadwa Investment, one of the leading investment firms in the Kingdom.

In addition to his role as Minister, His Excellency also holds a number of key positions within the Kingdom, including Advisor to HRH the Minister of Defense, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Saudi Arabia Military Industries (SAMI), Chairman of the Saudi Red Sea Authority, Chairman of the Diriyah Gate Development Authority and Advisor to the Council of Ministers General Secretariat.

Former government positions include Minister of Health, and Chairman of the Board of Directors for the General Entertainment Authority.