His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb is the Minister of Tourism of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the first to hold this position. As the architect of the Kingdom’s modern tourism ecosystem, he has led the opening of Saudi Arabia to international visitors and positioned the sector as a key driver of economic diversification, investment and job creation. In this role, he is steering one of the world’s most ambitious tourism transformations, building the institutions partnerships and regulatory frameworks necessary to unlock the sector’s full social and economic potential.

His Excellency leads a wide-ranging portfolio of national development, economic growth and social impact programs, serving on the boards and committees of more than 100 institutions that shape both the Kingdom’s tourism sector and its broader transformation. He serves as the Chair of the Saudi Tourism Authority, Tourism Development Fund, Saudi Fund for Development, Event Investment Fund, Quality of Life Program and the Air Connectivity Program. He is also a Board Member of the Public Investment Fund, the National Development Fund, the Saudi Council of Economic and Development Affairs, and Red Sea Global; and serves as Secretary General of the Board of the Diriyah Gate Development Authority, Al Diriyah Company, and Jeddah Central Development Company. Together, these roles reflect his central position in advancing Vision 2030 goals and driving multi-sectoral integration.

A key contributor to the formulation of Vision 2030, His Excellency has played a critical leadership role across several strategic sectors. Prior to his appointment as Minister of Tourism, he served as Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, Minister of Health, Advisor to HRH the Crown Prince at the Royal Court and Advisor to the Minister of Defense. He also led elements of the National Transformation Program, helping accelerate institutional reform and national competitiveness.

His Excellency brings more than 30 years of experience in investment and financial services. He founded Jadwa Investment Company, built Private Investment Banking at Riyadh Bank, developed Islamic Banking (Amanah) at SABB Bank, and advised the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers. He is widely recognized for building, restructuring and scaling complex organizations to achieve long-term strategic outcomes.

He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from King Saud University, a Diploma in Wealth Management from Dalhousie University and is a Certified Financial Advisor.