How to hire: CEO for Master Developer in Saudi Arabia
A publicly listed Saudi master developer required a new Chief Executive Officer to drive their project into its next phase.
Client Overview
A publicly listed Saudi master developer sits behind one of the Kingdom's flagship, Vision 2030-aligned economic city projects in Madinah. The masterplan spans 6.8 million square metres and represents more than SAR 24 billion (c. USD 6.4 billion) in committed investment, scaling to approximately 42,000 hotel keys and 40,000 residential units across residential, commercial, hospitality and knowledge-based components.
The Challenge
The board required a new Chief Executive Officer to drive the project into its next phase. Accelerating delivery of the masterplan, unlocking land and asset value, strengthening investor confidence, and building the leadership team and partnerships needed to realise the city's long-term vision.
The mandate called for an exceptionally rare profile: a Saudi national CEO with a proven track record across large-scale real estate development and senior corporate finance, capable of leading a listed company, engaging government and institutional stakeholders, and based in Madinah. The pool of candidates meeting all these criteria was extremely small, and the listed status of the business demanded a high degree of confidentiality throughout.
Our Approach
Leadership
The search was led by Tom Brooks, whose experience across senior GCC real estate and corporate leadership mandates underpinned a discreet, multi-channel campaign.
Overview of Methodology
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Comprehensive talent mapping of Saudi national executives across master developers, giga-projects, PIF portfolio companies and financial institutions in KSA and the wider GCC
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Targeted, confidential executive search combined with warm referrals through senior regional networks and competitor mapping
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Structured, multi-stage assessment through face-to-face and video interviews, benchmarking every candidate against an agreed leadership framework before board presentation
Results
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Shortlist of 12 credible candidates delivered
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4 weeks from brief to final shortlist
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All shortlisted candidates progressed through combined face-to-face and video interview stages
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Successful appointment of a senior Saudi national CEO with cross-sector real estate and finance expertise
Key Success Factors
Success was driven by a deep network of Saudi national C-suite talent and the ability to map an exceptionally scarce profile at the intersection of real estate and finance. A rigorous, face-to-face assessment process, combined with an understanding of the cultural, stakeholder and governance dynamics of a listed, Vision 2030-aligned development, delivered a credible shortlist and secured a visionary CEO within a tight four-week timeframe.
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