Draft:Abdullah Al Fozan

Abdullah Hamad Al Fozan (Arabic: عبدالله حمد الفوزان, born March 18, 1968) is the Chairman and CEO of KPMG in Saudi Arabia and the Levant. With 30 years of experience in audit and advisory, he is considered one of the top financial advisors in the Middle East. His insights are recognized and valued by the top decision-makers in the Kingdom, making him a regularly consulted advisor on issues concerning the Saudi economy at large and a leader in high-level engagements for both public and private sector entities.

Early life and education
Al Fozan was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from King Saud University and holds an MBA from the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris and the University of Edinburgh. He completed his PhD in Business Administration (DBA) from Nottingham Trent University. For his doctorate, he wrote his thesis on “Unemployment and Saudization in the Private Sector,” addressing the impact of government labor policies in Saudi Arabia on creating job opportunities in the private sector and reducing unemployment. Al Fozan also holds a Diploma in Economics from the Economic Institute at the University of Colorado, USA.

Career
Al Fozan worked with the Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF) for eight years, gaining extensive experience in auditing and expanding his knowledge in the trading and construction fields. During 1994-1995, he was sent to complete two years of job training at Arthur Andersen Company.

Al Fozan joined KPMG in Saudi Arabia in 2000 as a partner in charge of the Riyadh Office. He progressed in his responsibilities and roles, becoming the key partner and chairman of the Board of Directors in 2007. He held the chairmanship of KPMG Middle East and South Asia Board of Directors from 2014 until 2018. He was also a member of the board of directors of KPMG International. Currently, he chairs the company’s operations in Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq as part of the Levant cluster. Under his leadership, KPMG improved the nationalization rate from 7 percent to 50 percent in 2023. Under his direction, KPMG became the first professional services company in the Kingdom to transform from a partnership into a joint-stock company, enabling the audit, tax, and advisory firm to expand across Saudi Arabia and the regional market.

Al Fozan is a contributing writer at Alriyadh and Maaal

Published works
Al Fozan has authored a book that has been published in both English and Arabic versions.

EN: Nationalisation and Labour Market Policies in Saudi Arabia.

AR: التوطين وسياسات سوق العمل في المملكة العربية السعودية

Memberships
• Board of Directors of KPMG International (four years)

• Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce in Riyadh

• Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Financial Association (since its founding in 2019)

• Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Down Syndrome Charitable Society (DSCA)

• Board of Trustees of the Riyadh Economic Forum

• Board of Directors of the Saudi Organization for Certified Public Accountants (two terms)

Recognition
• Who’s Who, Arab News

• The Best 100 Arab CEOs, G2T Global Awards 2022

• Best CEO (Consulting) by the International Finance Awards.