Executive Coaching in Saudi Arabia

Where you are in the Kingdom decides how we meet

Saudi Arabia is large, so the practical options depend on your city. The table shows what works from each region. One-to-one coaching runs fully online wherever you are, and online executive coaching explains how those sessions are set up.

Vision 2030 turned leadership capability into a national priority

Saudi Vision 2030 sets out a plan to diversify the economy, grow the private sector and build the capabilities of Saudi citizens. In practice, that has created new authorities, transformation offices and giga-projects, and leaders who are promoted into roles with very few precedents.

Coaching is useful when the playbook does not exist yet. We work on how you make decisions without a template, how you hold your position with very senior stakeholders, and how you protect your own energy over a transformation measured in years rather than quarters.

Saudisation means developing Saudi leaders, not only hiring them

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development runs Nitaqat, the programme that sets Saudisation requirements for private-sector employers. Hiring is the visible part. The harder work comes afterwards, when a Saudi manager has to earn credibility with an experienced team, or a senior expatriate has to hand over knowledge and authority well.

Both sides of that handover benefit from coaching. If you are a young Saudi manager leading people with more years in the field, my guide on leading team members older than you is a practical place to begin.

Women moving into senior roles across Saudi organisations

Women's participation in the Saudi workforce has grown substantially during the Vision 2030 period, and more women now hold management roles in sectors that were once almost entirely male. Being early in that shift brings visibility, and visibility brings pressure.

I co-authored a book on coaching Arab women to lead, and my work on executive coaching for Arab women leaders covers presence, voice and the balance between family expectations and ambition.

Saudi calendar notes: Ramadan, Founding Day and National Day

A few dates shape the coaching rhythm for leaders in the Kingdom. Founding Day on 22 February and Saudi National Day on 23 September are public holidays, and we plan around them.

Ramadan brings shorter working days for many employees. We usually move sessions earlier, or pause briefly, so coaching supports you rather than competing with fasting and family time. My piece on leading your team during Ramadan covers the leadership side of that month.

What the first online session looks like from Riyadh or Jeddah

Before the first session we have already had a free discovery call, so you know how I work and I know broadly what you want. The first full session goes deeper: what is happening in your role, what you have already tried, and what a good outcome would look like six months from now.

You decide; my job is to sharpen your thinking. I ask questions until your own thinking becomes clear, and we finish with one or two things you will try before we meet again. Sessions usually run weekly or every two weeks.

A background in the sectors Saudi leaders work in

My 26 years in leadership, HR and talent development covered financial services, FMCG, entrepreneurship and government, inside multinational organisations and in private practice. That gives me a working understanding of large, hierarchical organisations and of the talent decisions made inside them.

I am an ICF Professional Certified Coach with more than 4,500 coaching hours, and I coach in Arabic and English. Based in Bahrain, I am close to the Kingdom but outside your organisation's networks, which can make it easier to speak openly.