Jamal Al Obireed: Building Saudi Arabia’s Next Generation of Leaders

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 is about transformation at every level, economic, social, and institutional. At the core of this transformation is a clear truth: people drive progress. Leaders who can inspire, innovate, and deliver results are the backbone of this national journey. Jamal Al Obireed exemplifies this truth. His story reflects not only personal ambition but also a deep alignment with the Kingdom’s goals of developing capable, confident leaders who can carry the nation forward.

His path is unique. From a laboratory chemist at SABIC to a corporate strategist and now an executive shaping leadership development at a national authority, Jamal’s career demonstrates adaptability, resilience, and purpose. It shows that true leadership is built not by titles, but by consistently choosing to learn, evolve, and empower others.

Early Life and Education

Jamal Al Obireed began his academic journey at King Saud University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree. His scientific training gave him a foundation of discipline and analytical thinking. But Jamal’s defining quality has always been his hunger to learn more and aim higher.

He expanded his expertise through executive education at the Beyond 2030 Executive Leadership Program at London Business School, a program designed to prepare leaders to think globally while acting locally, and the Leading Digital Transformation Program at Prince Mohammed Bin Salman College of Business & Entrepreneurship (MBSC), which equipped him to navigate the digital future.

Leadership Role in the Mining Sector

Since late 2024, Jamal has led Academy & Talent Development at SGS, with a mandate that stretches from strategy to execution. He and his team translate sector goals into learning plans, competency frameworks, and career paths, while strengthening performance management and succession planning to embed talent development, not make it episodic.

A defining achievement is institution building: helping to launch the SGS Academy under Vision 2030. The Academy’s mission is simple and ambitious: to equip Saudi geoscience professionals with the technical depth, leadership capability, and collaborative culture to accelerate exploration, sustainability, and responsible growth.

“Leadership is not a rank or a role. It is the responsibility to empower others to succeed.”

— Jamal Al Obireed

Strategic Partnerships & Leadership Track

To deliver at scale, Jamal secured strategic partners across the national knowledge network: KAU, KSU, KAUST, KFUPM, the Institute of Public Administration, and sector communities such as Young Mining Professionals (YMP) Riyadh and the Saudi Geologists Association. These alliances ensure content relevance, research linkages, and pipelines for emerging talent, bridging classrooms, labs, and field operations into one continuum of learning.

Through his roles in leadership academies, workforce development, and executive education, he works directly with leaders and teams to develop skills, decision-making, and organizational effectiveness. His public contributions through speaking engagements and professional discussions center on leadership readiness, human capital development, and translating learning into practical application inside institutions. His credibility comes from hands-on involvement in leadership development environments rather than from thought leadership built solely on visibility or media presence.

A Mission that Inspired a Generation

Before SGS, Jamal led Academy & Leadership Development at the Government Expenditure & Projects Efficiency Authority (EXPRO). There, he designed and delivered learning interventions for government entities, strengthening the execution muscle behind national transformation and more effective public spending. It was capability building on a national canvas where the learners are the people who deliver public value every day.

That work earned recognition beyond the classroom. The Academy team was acknowledged by EXPRO as it won HRSE KSA 2024, Best Executive & Leadership Programme, validating the design depth and measurable outcomes of the curricula. For Jamal, the award was not an end but a signal: when learning is tied to real KPIs and real missions, culture changes, and institutions improve.

Speaking & Panels: Institutional Excellence & Engineering Change

Jamal carries this mission into the public square from the Northern Leaders Forum 2025, where he discussed leadership as a driver of institutional excellence, to WSL2025 in Jeddah, where he examined engineering transformation through agile organization design, smart timing, and early burnout detection before KPIs slip. Across these stages, his message is consistent: build national geoscience capability through leadership development, university-government partnerships, and a culture that rewards knowledge sharing and sustained impact.

Scientific Innovation and National Impact

Jamal’s approach was forged in the crucible of industry. Over 16 years at SABIC, he progressed to Global Department Head (Senior Manager) for Capability Development and Digital Transformation.

In that role, he mapped competencies to roles across global operations, built assessment tools and maturity models, and led change programs that turned digital strategy into daily practice. Digital transformation, in his view, is not a software rollout; it’s a people strategy with code.

Operational Excellence at SABIC: Mergers, ISO 17025 & Safety

Earlier at SABIC as Department Head for People Development & Continuous Improvement, Jamal stewarded workforce strategies for frontline operators and leaders, guided culture change, and led the merger of three manufacturing companies with zero EHSS incidents, a testament to disciplined planning and care for people. In prior roles spanning People Development and Production QA&C, he implemented ISO 17025 to the highest approved scope in SABIC.

He strengthened lab and process capabilities that underpinned product quality and plant reliability. He began his career as a Quality Chemical Scientist supporting MTBE and Methanol plants, ensuring compliance and performance at the molecule‑to‑market level. That early experience, where precision, safety, and throughput are non‑negotiable, still shapes the way he builds systems: start from standards, obsess about behaviours, and make excellence repeatable.

Recognition and Legacy

Recognition has followed impact. Jamal’s portfolio includes honours from major industrial organizations and contributions to technical conferences. Just as significantly, he invests in the next generation: he served as Vice President of the Saudi Chemical Society, sits on the Board of Advisors at King Abdulaziz University’s College of Science (and previously advised King Saud University), contributes to the Youth Impact Council, supports YMP Riyadh, and engages with global peers as an Esade Alumni member. These roles extend his influence into the places where talent is formed, such as societies, universities, and professional communities.

Within SGS, his legacy will be measured not only by the programs launched but also by the leaders coached, the partnerships activated, and the cultures shifted. The Academy’s architecture competencies, curricula, assessment, and progression create a flywheel that will keep spinning long after a single cohort graduates.

Closing Thoughts

Vision 2030 challenges every sector to operate at new levels of excellence, and mining is no exception. Saudi Arabia’s distinction lies in building not just assets, but the institutions and people who can sustain and evolve them. Jamal Al Obireed embodies this approach, shaping systems that make leadership teachable and performance repeatable, from the laboratory to the boardroom and across government and academic partnerships.

As the SGS Academy grows, cohorts of Saudi geoscientists and leaders will carry forward a shared playbook for exploration, sustainability, and innovation, creating safer operations, faster learning cycles, and a culture of continuous knowledge transfer. National capability built one standard, one cohort, one leader at a time.

Discover more inspiring stories at Saudi Wins, where Vision 2030 comes to life.