Omar Al-Madhi
Chairman of the Board & Co-Founding Partner
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Omar was appointed as Chairman of Iliad Partners in March 2021. He is Co-Founding Partner of Iliad since its inception in 2016 and has been instrumental in Iliad’s early establishment and development.
Omar is currently the Co-Head of Direct Investment in the MENA Division of The Public Investment Fund (“PIF”), a position he holds since June 2021. At PIF he oversees investments and opportunities within Saudi Arabia and the broader MENA region and is responsible for five strategic sectors: Energy & Utilities, Industrials & Mining, Automotive & Mobility, Aerospace & Defense and Financial Institutions.
He is currently the Chairman of the Board RNC and Vice Chairman of the Board at Jada Fund of Funds, and Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Saudi Fisheries Company, a publicly listed entity on the Saudi Stock Exchange (TADAWUL:6050). Other board and committee memberships include: Dussur, ACWA Power, National Agricultural Development Company, and Eisenhower Fellowship Saudi Arabia.
Previously, Omar was the Senior Managing Director & Member of the Board at Abdul Latif Jameel (“ALJ”) Investments. He led ALJ’s diversification efforts, building, and investing in businesses that support ALJ’s growth and entry into new sectors and geographies.
Omar joined ALJ’s leadership after nearly 3 years within Volkswagen Group’s leadership as the CEO of Volkswagen Group Saudi Arabia, the establishment of which he led.
Prior to that, Omar was a member of SAGIA's executive team. During this period, Omar was assigned as Executive Director & CEO of the National Labor Competitiveness Council and worked as an Advisor to His Excellency the Minister of Labor in Saudi Arabia and as a member of the Public Private Partnerships steering committee at the Ministry. Prior to SAGIA, Omar worked in a multitude of positions within Saudi Aramco including participating in developing Aramco’s long-term strategy in the technology area.
Previously, he was also an Associate at McKinsey & Company based in Dubai, UAE.
Omar was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, joining the class of 2017. 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 also the Chairman of the Board of Awad Capital, a Dubai-based financial advisory firm.
Over the years, Omar has been a member of the board of directors, board committees and advisory board for several entities.
He was elected as a Young Arab Leader in October 2010. He is also 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 obtained his B.S. 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 is married with three children and is fluent in English, Arabic and Greek.