*A note from SUSTG’s President, Richard Wilson.*
My friend, Khaled Al-Saif, a true Saudi patriot, passed away on February 18.
An exceptional leader and a remarkably capable businessman, Khaled graduated from the American University of Beirut with a degree in civil engineering and was widely respected for his energetic and visionary leadership of the Al-Seif Group, a top 25 company in Saudi Arabia. Khaled founded the Arabian Medicare Company, Universal Advanced Systems Company, and El Seif Development Company among many others.
In 2023, his leadership of El Seif Engineering Contracting was so highly regarded, the Public Investment Fund (PIF) took a significant minority position in the company for the express purpose of supporting El Seif Engineering Contracting’s critical role in the extraordinary ongoing development in the Kingdom.
Khaled’s family are descendants of the Subai tribe and have been sheikhs of Attar in Sudair, Najd, since the beginning of King Abdulaziz Al Saud’s reign in 1932. His wife, Azza bint Nayef Abdulaziz Ahmad Al Sudairi, came from the Al-Sudairi family and is the first cousin of King Salman. He leaves behind four children: two sons, Faisal and Nayef, and two daughters, Dana, and Rajwa.
Just this past June, Khaled’s youngest daughter, Rajwa, married Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II. The wedding featured royalty from around the world, including U.S. First Lady Jill Biden and Prince William and Kate Middleton. On Khaled’s passing the Royal Hashemite Court announced a three-day mourning period to honor the legacy and profound impact of his life.
In 2004, while working as executive director of The Middle Easy Policy Council, Khaled, along with his colleagues HE Dr. Majid Al-Kassabi and Eng. Omar Bahlaiwa, invited me to become senior advisor for The Committee for International Trade (CIT), an extraordinary and talented group of private sector Saudi men and women committed to improving and expanding Saudi Arabia’s relations with key economic partners across the globe.
Over the next 20 years Khaled was an influential fixture in my professional life both as a driving force within CIT as well as a founding director of The Saudi-US Trade Group (SUSTG), a U.S.-based trade association we established in 2008. He was an essential member of SUSTG’s Board of Directors and a steadfast financial supporter.
Khaled was driven, demanding and decisive. He expected you to work hard and perform at a high level.
He was also kind, thoughtful, generous, and fair.
He was profoundly proud of his country. Accordingly, he was passionate about sharing the best of Saudi Arabia and ensuring that the Kingdom was full and fairly represented across the globe.
Despite many disappointments, he retained an abiding faith in the United States and the value of a strong U.S.-Saudi partnership.
In addition to being an extraordinary business leader, family man, philanthropist and friend, Khaled was a true Saudi patriot.
His passing is not only a tremendous loss for his family and friends but for Saudi Arabia as well.
He will be greatly missed.
Richard Wilson, President, Saudi-US Trade Group; Editor, SUSTG Review; Co-Host, The 966 podcast
