Hisham AlbahkaliRIYADH – General Electric Company (GE) has announced Tuesday the appointment of Hisham Albahkali, a Saudi Arabian national, as the president and CEO for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Albahkali will lead GE's operations of both Kingdoms and continue to strengthen the presence of GE in sectors such as oil & gas, power, water, aviation and healthcare, in addition to aligning the company's development programs in line with the Saudi Vision 2020 to promote diversification and knowledge sharing. He was previously Saudi Arabia's executive for GE Energy, a statement from the company said. Nabil Habayeb, GE's president & CEO for Mena and Turkey, said: "Saudi Arabia is one of our core markets in the region, where we have established long-term partnerships in growth sectors that bring a positive difference to the well-being of the people." "We will continue to partner with the Kingdom's growth goals emphasizing on economic diversification, creating jobs for its talented youngsters and promoting regional research. Albahkali has tremendous insights into the Saudi Arabian market having been associated with several key projects, and will work towards further driving our growth in the country." "Saudi Arabia is witnessing one of the most exciting developmental phases, with strong investments in new and emerging technologies. GE's focus on creating localized solutions and investing in long-term development will be strong assets in supporting the Kingdom," Albahkali said. "Our priority areas will be to strengthen our existing partnerships, and continuing to create more growth opportunities for skilled Saudi professionals." Albahkali is a 15-year GE veteran who started his career with the company in 1997 as a customer service manager for GE Energy, and since then has held a number of leadership roles within the business. Most recently, he was the country executive for GE Energy in Saudi Arabia. – SG
