Saad Al-Qahtani: Operations Leader Driving Facilities Excellence, Fleet Transformation, and Sustainable Value in Saudi Arabia

Saad Al-Qahtani is a prominent executive and operations leader with more than 20 years of experience across facilities management, transportation, and asset lifecycle leadership at Saudi Energy Company. Today, he leads the Facilities Department, overseeing 116 sites, 855 buildings, and more than 1.03 million square meters of facilities with a clear focus on safe, efficient, and sustainable operations that support long-term business continuity.

Leading Facilities at Scale

As Facilities Department Manager, Saad is responsible for the strategic and operational running of a highly dispersed asset base. He leads a multidisciplinary team of 80 professionals, including internal staff, contractors, and division managers, across facilities, fire maintenance, and technical services support. His leadership ensures that assets are maintained, workplaces remain productive, and service quality stays aligned with organizational priorities.

His role is not limited to day-to-day operations. He also drives capital project execution, manages service contracts, oversees vendor performance, and supports succession planning and Saudization across the department. This combination of operational discipline and people development has made him a key contributor to organizational resilience and performance.

Delivering Capital Projects and Operational Efficiency

Saad has played a central role in delivering major capital projects worth SAR 101M, including customer office renovations, security infrastructure upgrades, and other strategic initiatives. His approach emphasizes cost-effective execution, timely delivery, and strong coordination between internal teams and external partners.

He has also overseen 29 service contracts and 6 strategic agreements valued in total at more than SAR 225M, covering facilities maintenance, HVAC, safety systems, security, cleaning, catering, and technical support. By managing CAPEX and OPEX carefully, he ensures that operational spending translates into measurable value and improved workplace performance.

Sustainability, ESG, and International Standards

A defining strength of Saad’s leadership is his commitment to sustainability and international standards. He contributed to achieving and maintaining ISO 9001:2015, ISO 41001:2018, and ISO 14001:2015 certifications through audit leadership, CAPA management, and continual improvement practices. His departments achieved strong audit outcomes with zero non-conformities or only minor observations.

He also contributed to the achievement of LEED Gold Certification, supporting initiatives that delivered around 20% energy savings and 30% water reduction, while improving indoor environmental quality and reducing operating costs. In addition, his work supported Saudi Energy Company’s 2025 ESG score of 65 out of 100 issued by S&P Global, reflecting the broader impact of his facility-level sustainability programs.

Fleet and Transportation Leadership

Before his current facilities role, Saad led transportation operations for nearly a decade, managing a fleet of 1,615 vehicles and a workforce of 30 people. He digitized fleet management by introducing GPS tracking, AVL systems, smart fuel monitoring, preventive maintenance automation, and electronic management of registrations, insurance, permits, and driver licensing.

His achievements in transportation include:

• Reducing fuel costs by approximately 35% through a smart electronic fuel management system.

• Improving fleet utilization by 15% through route optimization and better visibility.

• Cutting driver-related incidents by about 20% with telematics and safety monitoring.

• Ensuring fuel continuity during major regional disruptions and emergency incidents.

• Generating SAR 8M in cost savings by replacing expensive marine fuel transport with government ferry services.

These results show his ability to combine logistics, technology, and cost discipline in highly demanding environments.

Early Career and Technical Foundation

Saad began his career in mechanical maintenance and technical support, building a strong engineering foundation that later supported his leadership in fleet and facilities management. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, followed by an M.Sc. in Total Quality Management and an Executive MBA from King Abdulaziz University.

He also completed an Executive Leadership Program with SEC and RBL Group, strengthening his capability in organizational leadership, change management, and strategic execution. This combination of technical knowledge and executive education has enabled him to lead large, complex operations with confidence.

Leadership That Builds Capacity

Saad’s professional style is defined by operational excellence, talent development, and a strong focus on business continuity. He is known for developing high-potential engineering talent, strengthening succession pipelines, and creating resilient systems that can perform under pressure. His experience spans supply chain, fleet management, asset management, vendor governance, ESG, and shared services.

He is a leader who balances structure with flexibility, ensuring that facilities and transportation operations remain efficient, safe, and aligned with Vision 2030 priorities.

The Saudi Leaders recognize Saad Al-Qahtani as a trusted operations executive whose leadership delivers sustainable value, operational excellence, and lasting organizational impact.