Nadhmi Al-Nasr is at the helm of the world’s largest and most ambitious development project, NEOM. His appointment to lead this monumental gigaproject, which is being built across a 26,500 square kilometer footprint in the northwest corner of Saudi Arabia, is the culmination of a long and illustrious international career, spanning more than four decades.
Having started his professional journey as an engineer at Aramco in the late 1970s, during the Kingdom’s significant oil and gas expansion period, Nadhmi rapidly rose to the position of Vice President. While at the national petroleum company, sheer tenacity and strong leadership skills saw Nadhmi selected to spearhead the development of the Ghawar field, the largest oil field in Saudi Arabia. He also oversaw the construction of the world’s largest oil project in Shaybah, within the Rub’ al Khali desert.
In 2006, Nadhmi led the establishment of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), which has become one of the region’s most reputable research institutions.
Since joining NEOM as CEO in July 2018, Nadhmi has successfully steered the project from its strategic planning and design phases to execution. A vital component of the Saudi Vision 2030 program, NEOM is more than a construction project. Nadhmi has a vast portfolio of responsibilities, overseeing the establishment and successful launch of 15 sectors, five regions, and three subsidiary companies—with more to come—each of which is playing an important role in supporting the diversification of the Kingdom’s economy.
Over the past six years, Nadhmi’s dynamic leadership style, agility and strategic thinking have been instrumental in attracting world-class talents, leaders and partners to NEOM. Importantly, Nadhmi has assembled a strong senior leadership team from prestigious companies, corporations and government entities around the Kingdom and beyond to help bring the NEOM vision to life.
Also known as the ‘land of the future,’ NEOM is rapidly taking shape under Nadhmi’s experienced, watchful eye. On the ground today, NEOM is a hive of activity, with around 5,000 full-time employees and 140,000 construction workers onsite. Work is underway on all five of NEOM’s regions – THE LINE, Trojena, Oxagon, Sindalah and Magna. Sindalah, one of the islands of NEOM and its first tourism destination, is set to open for visitors later this year, marking a significant milestone in the project’s journey.