Saudi Tourism Authority appoints Ageel Alshaibani as CEO from 1 September 2026, succeeding founding chief Fahd Hamidaddin amid strong sector growth
The Board of Directors of the Saudi Tourism Authority has appointed Ageel Alshaibani as chief executive officer with effect from 1 September 2026.
Alshaibani succeeds Fahd Hamidaddin, who served as the founding chief executive of the authority from March 2020 until July 2026.
The appointment draws on Alshaibani’s extensive leadership and strategic experience across public and private sectors, together with his prior contributions to Saudi Arabia’s tourism ecosystem.
Before taking up the new role, Alshaibani served as deputy minister of Strategic Planning and Monitoring at the Ministry of Tourism.
In that position he helped shape and deliver the National Tourism Strategy and supported a range of initiatives designed to expand the sector and meet its targets.
Earlier in his career he was chief strategy officer at the Misk Foundation and worked as an associate partner at McKinsey and Company.
He also acted as adviser to the Minister of Health and director general of the Strategic Partnerships Office, gaining experience across public services, community programmes, healthcare and consultancy.
Alshaibani currently sits on the boards of the Saudi Tourism Authority, the Saudi Red Sea Authority, Jeddah Airports Company and the General Entertainment Authority.
He chairs the Saudi Swimming Federation and serves on the Quality of Life Program Committee as well as the Supervisory Committee and NRC of the Saudi Air Connectivity Program.
His earlier work included contributions to the first phase of the Housing Program under Vision 2030 and support for the privatisation of selected municipal services such as parking, cleansing and inspections, with the aim of improving efficiency and sustainability.
Commenting on his appointment, Alshaibani thanked the Board of Directors for its confidence.
He said he looked forward to continuing efforts to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s position as a leading global tourism destination and to supporting the authority’s work to attract visitors and grow the sector in partnership with others.
Under Hamidaddin’s leadership the Kingdom welcomed 123 million visitors in 2025, exceeding the original 2030 target and prompting a revised ambition of 150 million.
Tourism spending reached approximately 80 billion US dollars while the sector contributed 178 billion US dollars to GDP.
New attractions including Six Flags Qiddiya City and Aquarabia also opened during that period. Hamidaddin now holds board positions at Qiddiya, Advanced Gardens Company and the Esports Foundation, and serves on CEDA’s Events Committee.
The appointment comes as Saudi Arabia continues to advance its Vision 2030 tourism goals, focusing on sustainable growth, enhanced visitor experiences and deeper international partnerships.
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