JEDDAH: Chairman of Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) Prince Alwaleed bin Talal was ranked No. 1 in Arabian Business magazine's list of the Gulf's 50 Most Efficient CEOs. The magazine surveyed 50 top public companies in the GCC, and divided H1 profits by the number of employees.
"Way out in front is Prince Alwaleed, the founder of Kingdom Holding Company. With just 19 direct staff, the prince registered an incredible $56.2 million profit in H1 this year. That amounts to an average $2.96 million per employee. Prince Alwaleed's leadership strategy is unmatched; while he is meticulous in his approach and pays attention to minute details that are checked and verified, by the same token he hires people whom he can trust and are compatible with his working style," wrote the magazine.
Prince Alwaleed is known for his precision for exploring new and potential business opportunities and ventures in synchronization with the direction and fluctuations of the economic climate.
Kingdom Holding Company was listed on Tadawul in 2007 and Prince Alwaleed, who owns 95 percent of the company, has been involved in the creation of a diversified long-term investments portfolio of strategic stakes in well-known companies locally and around the world, in multiple sectors covering real estate, media, banking and hotels.
The prince was ranked No. 1 in Arabian Business magazine's 2010 Power 100 list of the World's Most Influential Arabs. He was also ranked No. 1 in the Middle East's magazine's 2009 list of the World's 50 Most Influential Arabs, and was further ranked one of the top 25 billionaires in the 2010 and 2009 Forbes Billionaires lists.
The prince is active in social responsibility projects through significant local and international donations made by his philanthropic and humanitarian foundations. He has received several accolades for this as well.
© Arab News 2010
