Mr. Yousef Abdullah Al-Benyan is the Vice Chairman and CEO of SABIC and a member of the Investment Committee.
Mr. Al-Benyan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master’s degree in Industrial Management. In addition, he has received several specialized courses in Executive Management.
Mr. Al-Benyan is currently the Chief Executive Officer of SABIC. He is also the Chairman of the Boards of Yanbu National Petrochemical Company (Yansab), the Saudi Arabian Fertilizer Company (SAFCO), and Saudi Iron and Steel Company (HADEED). In addition, he assumes leading positions at some national and regional associations and committees, including Chairman of the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA), and Chairman of the Petrochemical Manufacturers Committee.
Furthermore, Mr. Al-Benyan is a member of several national and international business councils, forums, associations and boards, including: the International Business Council of the World Economic Forum; the Global Business Council of the Bloomberg Global Forum; the Board of Directors of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA); the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA); the Royal Commission for Jubail & Yanbu; and the Saudi Ports Authority. Mr. Al-Benyan is also a member of the King Saud University Advisory Board, and a member of the International Advisory Board of the King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals. He is a member of the Board of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF), and the Constituent Council of Future Transportation Sector Development Project.
Prior to named the Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SABIC, Mr. Al-Benyan served as the Executive Vice President, Corporate Finance and CFO. Before that, in 2013, Mr. Al-Benyan was elected to head SABIC’s Chemicals business, the company’s largest sector, aiming to help SABIC achieves its goal of becoming the preferred global leader in chemicals by 2025. He was also a member of the boards of directors of several companies and committees including the Board of the National Industrial Clusters Development Program, and the Executive Committee of the Riyadh Economic Forum of Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Yousef Abdullah Al-Benyan envisions a Saudi Arabia where small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a pivotal role in economic development, aligning with the goals of Vision 2030. As the chairman of the board of directors of Saudi Arabia’s Small and Medium Enterprises Bank, he aims to empower SMEs, fostering financial stability and contributing significantly to the nation's economic diversification. Al-Benyan's vision extends to ensuring that the SME sector becomes a robust pillar of growth, reflecting the broader ambitions of Saudi Arabia's strategic development plan. His leadership underscores a commitment to realizing a vibrant and diversified economic landscape for the Kingdom.
Yousef Abdullah Al-Benyan is Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SABIC, the world’s third-largest diversified petrochemicals company. Prior to his current position, Mr. Al-Benyan held the following positions: Executive Vice President, Corporate Finance and CFO; Executive Vice President, Chemicals; and Executive Vice President, Corporate Human Resources.
Mr. Al-Benyan joined SABIC in 1987, just eleven years after the company’s formation. His first role was as a business development specialist before joining corporate communications. Mr. Al-Benyan relocated to Stamford, Connecticut as Operations Manager, then in 1994 to Houston, Texas as Commercial Manager for SABIC in the USA and Latin America. In 2002, he was promoted to General Manager of SABIC Asia, headquartered in Singapore. He returned to Houston in the fall of 2005 as General Manager of SABIC Americas.
His other positions include Chairman of the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA), as well as Chairman of the Boards at Yanbu National Petrochemical Company (Yansab), the Saudi Arabian Fertilizer Company (SAFCO) and Saudi Iron and Steel Company (HADEED), which are manufacturing affiliates of SABIC.
Mr. Al-Benyan holds a degree in economics and a Master’s degree in Industrial Management, in addition to several specialized executive management courses.
Yousef Abdullah Al-Benyan has achieved prominence as the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s Small and Medium Enterprises Bank, steering efforts to empower and stabilize the SME sector in alignment with Vision 2030. His illustrious career includes serving as the minister of education and previously as vice chairman and CEO of Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC). Al-Benyan has been recognized as one of the most powerful CEOs in the Middle East by Forbes, attesting to his impactful leadership across diverse sectors, including petrochemicals, finance, and education. He was also amongst the top 100 CEOs in the Middle East by Forbes.
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