Abdullah is a Saudi banker, investor and executive with more than 15 years of experience in investment banking, during which he held many executive positions, including the position of Vice President for Investment Banking Services at Deutsche Bank in the Middle East and North Africa region. Today he serves as the Managing Director of Qiddiya Investment Company the mega-entertainment hub in the heart of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Abdullah is also the Managing Director of Seera Holding Group, a publicly listed company, where he transformed the Group from a traditional Travel & Tourism agency to a leading multi-business with interests across Travel, Tourism, Hospitality, Car Rental as well as Technology and was largest investors in Careem before selling it to Uber. Abdullah is the Executive Chairman of Saudi Entertainment Ventures Company (SEVEN), a PIF company working to establish 20 entertainment complexes in the cities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to be the national champion for the advancement of the sector in the Kingdom, where he led the design of the strategy and the ongoing execution. Abdullah is also the Owner, Founder and Chairman of Al-Raedah Finance Company licensed by the Central Bank of Saudi Arabia, where the company provides technology driven financing solutions to medium and small businesses through its digital platforms. Abdullah served and continue to serve as a Board Member of several Saudi and international companies, including the Hotel Management Company, Rou’a Al Madinah Holding Company, the Saudi Stock Exchange Company (Tadawul), all are owned by the Public Investment Fund, as well as the MBC Group (MBC), the MENA media conglomerate, and World Business Lenders in the United States and other companies in several sectors. Abdullah holds a master’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from Georgetown University in the United States as well as a master’s degree in Business Administration with honors from the same university.

Philippe Gas is at the helm of Qiddiya Investment Company as Chief Executive Officer. He possesses a deep understanding of entertainment and hospitality with 30 years of experience at The Walt Disney Company where he held several key roles. His most recent position was President & Managing Director of Walt Disney Attractions Japan & Disneyland International where he oversaw the development of the Tokyo Disney Resort. During his time at Disney, Philippe held other key roles including Chief Executive Officer of Euro Disney SCA, he successfully led the launch of Shanghai Disney Resort – The Walt Disney Company’s first theme park in mainland China and its largest international investment to date - and was the worldwide EVP Human Resources for the organization. Philippe is the recipient of the Magnolia Award issued by Shanghai Municipal government and foreign affairs bureau to foreign nationals having demonstrated an outstanding contribution to the Chinese economic development, along with the Chevalier de l Ordre National du Mérite – a French order of merit awarded by the President of the French Republic to recognize distinguished military or civil achievements.

Craig McIntyre is an industry expert with 30+ years of experience under his belt in key areas such as planning, operations, strategy, brand positioning, financial operations and real estate. Prior to Qiddiya, Craig spent 15 years with Universal Studios Parks and Resorts, most recently in the role of Senior Vice President of Universal Creative in Japan where he was responsible for generating strategic growth and revenue of the business as well as providing investment analysis for new land acquisitions and development of hotels, restaurants, attractions and parking facilities. No stranger to the region, Craig worked for several years in the UAE, during which time he held the role of Senior Vice President & Director at Emaar Properties and spearheaded the strategic planning and development functions of several leisure and hospitality related properties. He was also CEO of Farah Experiences LLC – the primary operator of Yas Island, an integrated leisure and tourist destination in Abu Dhabi. Craig also founded his own international consultancy business, McIntyre Management Group LLC (USA), to provide strategic advice, management consultation and development services to owners in the fields of entertainment, hospitality and gaming. Earlier in his career, Craig was the head of design and construction for Hard Rock International where he was responsible for the global development of new hotels, cafes and music venues. Here, Craig will oversee the broader program management and staff functions at Qiddiya Development Company as well as the direct project management activities of the Qiddiya Investment Company portfolio.

An experienced senior executive in the leisure and entertainment industry. Hans Aksel possesses a combination of strong operational and marketing experience and a deep understanding of global brand building. During his 20 years with Merlin Entertainments (LEGOLAND), Hans Aksel held several roles including Managing Director for LEGOLAND Parks Group where he had complete profit and loss responsibility for 8 international parks, including LEGOLAND Dubai. Other LEGOLAND roles at Merlin Entertainment included Divisional Director, Senior Vice President (USA); General Manager (Germany) and Senior Sales & Marketing Director (UK). From his 16 years as reserve officer in the Danish Army, Hans Aksel brings clear direction, a structured approach and an open communication style to his leadership positions.

Norbert has 30 years of global experience in sales and marketing, commercial management and in driving transformation and change across industries such as hospitality, leisure, entertainment and travel. Prior to joining Qiddiya, he worked for Costa Cruises (part of Carnival Corporation) in Italy, as Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, and then as Chief Strategy and Digital Officer. Like several others at Qiddiya, Norbert is also a Disney alumnus, and worked as Senior Vice President, Sales and Distribution at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, EMEA. Prior to entering the worlds of cruise ships and theme parks, Norbert was in aviation, with 14 years spent at KLM, the national Dutch airline.

Wayne Davies is a seasoned HR executive with over 30 years of experience in human resources leadership. Prior to joining Qiddiya, Wayne worked for one of the most recognized brands in the Middle East, Emirates Airline as Senior Vice President, Human Resources Business Partnership. With an employee base of 75,000 people and 165+ nationalities, he was responsible for helping to build digital and transformational capability, employee engagement, leadership development and redefining the role of the HR function. In this role, he partnered with the airline leadership team to deliver on critical people initiatives through times of record-breaking profits as well as through some of the most challenging times in aviation history. During his professional journey, he was also Head of Human Resources across multiple global divisions of General Electric and he spent his early years in HR leadership roles within the European steel industry.

Kareem Shamma is a real estate and construction expert with over 35 years of experience in the industry, primarily in the GCC. He possesses a special flair for managing and driving challenging and iconic projects, all the way from drawing board to reality. Shamma has been at the helm of key projects in hospitality, leisure and mixed-use real estate development. With a Masters degree in Structural Engineering from Imperial College, London, his technical experience began with projects covering bridges & highways, dredging & reclamation and geotechnical engineering, working for many years with global consultants Dar Al Handasah.  He moved on to Project Management, honing his commercial and development skills on such iconic projects as Amwaj Islands in Bahrain, and has in recent years held top posts with key real estate developers including the Al Futtaim Group in the UAE. His skill set is as impressive and extensive as his career trajectory. Fluent in Arabic and English, he is a problem solver with a deep understanding of cultural norms and values, having started his career in Saudi Arabia over 30 years ago, working on Riyadh’s ring road network. Now he is back in the Kingdom as the CDO of Qiddiya, mandated to deliver, along with the rest of the development team, this capital of entertainment, sports and the arts.

John Ireland is an expert in finance, business development, strategic planning, investor relations, partnerships and joint venture management. With almost 15 years of experience in the international arena, he served the role of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at DXB Entertainments PJSC (UAE), a leading publicly listed integrated theme park destination in MENA and owner of three theme parks, a water park and hotels, including Legoland Hotel, as well as a mixed use retail and dining destination. Prior to DXB Entertainments Ireland held a number of senior roles in finance, business development and strategy at 21st Century Fox, with a remit spanning across Europe, Asia and the Middle East, including CFO of Rotana Media Group (KSA) He has a Bachelor of Arts in business and management from the University of Exeter (UK), and is a qualified chartered accountant.

Hind AlSaleh is responsible for executive operations, finance and program management for the project and works closely with the CEO. She is highly skilled in turnround operations as well as conflict, change, resource and risk management. She joined the Qiddiya team earlier in 2020 as the General Secretariat PMO Director. She was responsible for the development and implementation of the PMO strategy as well as implementation of PMO’s policies and procedures. Prior to Qiddiya, Hind held the role of PMO Director followed by Senior Operations Director at the Quality of Life Program. She managed a diverse portfolio (worth $10 billion) including 100+ initiatives across industries such as sports, culture, entertainment and education, and ensured all project activities were aligned with the objectives of Vision 2030. A certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and a PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP), Hind brings her expertise to Qiddiya to ensure achievement of the company’s objectives.

Obaid AlKurashi is an internal audit expert with 15 years of experience in the international arena. The certified internal auditor’s area of expertise lies in mega-capital projects, operational and international audits as well as internal controls and compliance with legal regulatory requirements. His career trajectory began at Saudi Aramco, where he worked across various departments and served multiple roles including internal auditing for Saudi Aramco Corporate, establishing the internal audit function for Aramco Trading Company, and managing the internal audit function for Aramco Asia. He also represented the oil giant in multiple domestic and international projects as well as operational joint venture audit engagements. He holds double master’s degrees in Accounting and Applied Finance from Queensland University of Technology. And while he has a profound love for numbers, AlKurashi loves to read and invests his free time in professional trainings, honing his skill set. He also enjoys swimming and diving.

Omar Elsayed is a legal expert with 20 years of experience in corporate law, complex mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and joint venture transactions. During his career, he advised government and private clients on complex local and cross border transactions and investments in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Prior to joining Qiddiya, Mr. Elsayed held several roles including Partner and Member of the Corporate Department at international law firm Latham & Watkins LLP and associate at international law firm White & Case LLP. As Qiddiya’s General Counsel, Mr. Elsayed is responsible for pre-empting and assessing potential legal risks and plays the role of key negotiator and advisor in the company’s strategic affairs.