Omar co-heads Direct Investments for the MENA Investments Division, overseeing PIF investments and opportunities in key strategic sectors.
He formerly held the position of Senior Managing Director & Member of the Board at Abdul Latif Jameel Investments where he led Abdul Latif Jameel’s diversification efforts, building and investing in businesses that support our growth and entry into new sectors and geographies.
Omar joined Abdul Latif Jameel’s leadership after three years within Volkswagen Group’s leadership as the Chief Executive Officer of Volkswagen Group Saudi Arabia.
Prior to that, Omar was a member of SAGIA's executive team. Prior to SAGIA, Omar worked in a multitude of positions within Saudi Aramco including participating in developing the company’s long-term strategy in the technology area. He was also an Associate at McKinsey & Company in Dubai, UAE.
Omar obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 2002. He also received an MBA degree from the MIT Sloan School of Management in 2007.
Omar was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, joining the class of 2017. In naming Omar, the Forum characterized him as "a recognized corporate executive who has emerged a champion of job creation, employment and infrastructure in Saudi Arabia".
He was appointed by Royal Decree to the Board of the Saudi Job Creation & Employment Commission and was later selected to also sit on the Board’s Executive Committee. He is chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee of the Saudi Fisheries Company and is also a member of the Board of the National Agricultural Development Company (NADEC) — key portfolio companies of PIF.
He is an Eisenhower Fellow having been selected as the Fellow from Saudi Arabia for Eisenhower Fellowships’ 2011 Multi Nation Program. As an Eisenhower Fellow, Omar was awarded the Ward Wheelock Distinguished Middle East Fellow honor. He is also the recipient of the 2007 MIT Sloan Martin Trust Fellowship, which recognizes excellence in members of the graduating class.
Omar is married with three children and is fluent in English, Arabic and Greek.