Board Members

Mr. Ahmed Al-Zahrani joined the TAQA Board in October 2020. He was voted by the Board of Directors to carry the Chairmanship position. He is also the Chairman of the Executive Committee. A seasoned professional with over 25 years of experience in the oil & gas sector, as well as the broader energy industry, he currently serves as Assistant Minister for Development and Excellence Affairs at the Ministry of Energy. Since 1995, Mr. Al-Zahrani has held multiple engineering and leadership positions in the oil & gas sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States. Following a 17-year career with Saudi Aramco, Mr. Al Zahrani took on Saudi Arabia’s energy efficiency initiatives, leading the design and implementation of numerous strategies and programs for the Saudi Energy Efficiency Program between 2012 and 2018, and serving as the General Manager of the Saudi Energy Efficiency Center until 2019. Mr. Al Zahrani holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and a Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering from Pennsylvania State University, US. Mr. Al Zahrani serves on several other Boards of Directors, including as Chairman of the National Investment Promotion Committee – Energy Sector, and as a Member of the Boards of Directors for Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization, Saudi Food and Drug Authority, National Competitiveness Center and the National Energy Services Company (Tarshid).

Mr. Al-Nughaimish joined TAQA as Vice-Chairman of the Board and Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee in November 2020. He currently serves as Chief Drilling Engineer at Saudi Aramco, overseeing the design and construction of oil and gas wells across the Kingdom, onshore and offshore. His experience spans 20 years, covering the fields of project management, operational excellence, and strategy development and execution in the oil and gas industry. Mr. Al-Nughaimish has held various leadership positions in drilling & workover, reservoir management, production engineering, well services, and offshore production during which he delivered multiple mega projects. He is an active member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), participating in the international committees of several technical publications, inventions, and awards. He completed the Harvard Business School Executive Education General Management Program and received an MSc degree in Petroleum Engineering from Heriot-Watt University, UK, in 2005, and a BSc degree in Chemical Engineering with Cum Laude Honors from Arizona State University, USA, in 2001. Mr. Al-Nughaimish is also a board member of ARO Drilling Company, and previously served on the boards of SPE International, and AlQadisiyah Sport Club.

Mr. Mohammed Albalaihed joined TAQA as a Member of the Board of Directors and a Member of the Executive Committee in December 2019. He currently serves as Senior Director – Head of Energy and Utilities at the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. Prior to joining PIF in 2016, Mr. Albalaihed held several positions at Sanabil Investment, the Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF), and Deutsche Bank. Mr. Albalaihed is a Chartered Financial Analyst, holding an MBA degree from London Business School and a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Prince Sultan University, Saudi Arabia. Additionally, Mr. Albalaihed serves as Director at Saudi Electricity Company, Jada Fund of Funds, the Saudi Recycling Investment Company (SRIC), Marafiq, and the Industrial Center.

Mr. Michael Queen joined TAQA as a Member of the Board of Directors and a Member of the Executive Committee in November 2017. He has over 35 years of international experience, serving as the Chief Executive of 3i Group plc, a global investment company, where over the course of 25 years he developed 3i’s activities in the infrastructure sector. In 1994 he was seconded to Her Majesty’s Treasury to help develop the potential for the Private Finance Initiative at the UK’s National Health Services (NHS) as Head of the NHS Private Finance Unit. Between 2010 and 2012 he was a Member of the Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Group. Mr. Queen holds a Bachelor’s (honors) in Industrial Economics from Nottingham University in the UK and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (FCA). Additionally, he is Chairman of the University of Surrey, Chairman of Coller Capital, Chairman of and Enterprise M3 and is a Member of the Board of Tideway – a major UK Infrastructure project.

Mr. Anoop Poddar joined TAQA as a Member of the Board of Directors and a Member of the Executive Committee in October 2020. He currently serves as a Senior Partner at EV Private Equity (EVPE), a technology-focused impact investor. Prior to joining EVPE, Mr. Poddar was CEO and Founding Member of First Reserve Momentum, a mid-market private equity firm. He has more than 23 years of operational, M&A transactional and investment experience in the energy sector and has helped build strategic value at many technologies rich companies. He has also been an Associate Senior Lecturer at the Aberdeen Business School and a Member of the R&D Committee at the Society of Petroleum Engineers. Mr. Poddar holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, as well as a Master’s in Offshore Engineering from the Robert Gordon University and a Bachelor’s in Petroleum Engineering from the Indian School of Mines. Additionally, Mr. Poddar serves as Chairman of Wireless Seismic, Rival Downhole Tools and Workover Solutions, and Board Director of Bluware and EV Private Equity.

Mr. Fawaz Al-Fawaz joined TAQA as a Member of the Board of Directors in April 2015. He currently holds the position of EVP Finance and Support Functions at TASNEE and has more than 25 years of experience in the petrochemical industry bringing with him strategic corporate finance experience and a people-centric approach to the business. He is focused on building a culture that is performance driven and maximizes shareholder value. Prior to joining TASNEE, he held various senior positions at SABIC including as Vice President, Corporate Finance, General Manager, Shared Services for Finance & Accounting, and Assistant Vice President Finance – SABIC Marketing LTD. Additionally, he previously served as Vice Chairman of the Board and was the Audit Committee Chairman of Yanbu National Petrochemical Co. (YANSAB); Board member of SABIC Affiliates Ibn Baytar, Petrokemya, United Jubail, SABIC Capital at Amsterdam; Chairman, Saudia Air Cargo Company, Board member of Aluminum Bahrain (ALBA) and Board Member and Chairman of the Audit Committee of Malath Insurance Company. He currently serves as a Board Member of Tasnee & Sahara Olefins Company;Chairman, Saudi Logistics Company (SAL); Board Member and Head of Audit Committee, Saudi Chemical Holding Company ; Chairman, Saudi Acrylic Acid Company; He has proven leadership ability and a wealth of Leadership experience in the field of Strategic Corporate Finance, Risk Management; Auditing; Treasury & Investment, Financial Shared Services, Business Transformation as well as in Corporate Functions (Procurement, IT ERP systems and Human Resources). Mr. Al-Fawaz earned his Bachelor’s degree in Finance & Accounting from King Saud University, and attended various international post-graduate courses, seminars and conferences on Management Leadership, Strategic Finance, International Treasury Management, and Corporate Governance from prestigious Institutions.

Mr. Bader Al-Athel joined TAQA as a member of the Board of Directors in May 2014. He currently holds the position of Deputy Chairman of FAL Arabia Holdings Company Limited and General Manager of Saudi FAL Co. Ltd. Previously, Mr. Al-Athel has served as Senior Vice President & Deputy CEO at FAL Group of Companies. He has held several other leadership positions throughout his career, including Assistant President for FAL Holdings and Executive Director for Arabian Medical Hospitality Supply Company Limited. Mr. Al-Athel holds a Bachelor’s in Business Management from Portland State University, US. He serves on several other Boards, including as Chairman of the Board for FAL Group of Companies, Al Bilad Catalyst Company, Arab Medical Center (Jordan), Falcom Financial Services, and Al-Amthal Financing. Additionally, he is Deputy Chairman for FAL Real Estate Company, Vice Chairman of the Board for Logistics Services Company (LSC), National Medical Care Company, and Falcom Holding Company, among others.

Mr. Ibrahim Alharbi joined TAQA as a Member of the Board of Directors in November 2017. He currently serves as General Manager of Enterprise Risk & Business Continuity at the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI). He has more than thirteen years of experience in strategic planning and execution, performance management, human capital management, governance, and social insurance. Mr. Alharbi holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Akron, Ohio, in the US, and a Bachelor’s in Public Administration from King Saud University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Additionally, he is performance management and Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC) certified by the European Business School (EBS) and by OCEG. Mr. Alharbi has also served as a Board Member at the International Diol Company (IDC).

Mr. Waleed Al-Jafaary joined TAQA as a Member of Board of Directors in October 2020. He brings with him vast industrial and academic experience, having served as a faculty member at the Institute of Public Administration in the early 1980s and as General Manager and Board Member at Gulf Logistics Ltd from 1985 through 1998. Mr. Al-Jafaary holds a Bachelor’s in Economics from King Saud University in Saudi Arabia. Mr. Al-Jafaary currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Al Dawaa Healthcare Services, and Chairman of the Board of Gulf Real Estate Development Company, Vice Chairman of Alalamiah Tourism Company, and Board Member of Eastern Province Cement Company, Walaa Insurance Company and Advanced Petrochemicals Company, among others.