Abdullah Saleh Al Othaim

About Abdullah Saleh Al Othaim

Abdullah Saleh Ali Al-Othaim is a Saudi businessman and one of the largest investors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, born in 1960 in Riyadh. He chairs the board of Saudi-listed supermarket chain Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets, which has more than 400 stores in Saudi Arabia and some 50 stores in Egypt; 2024 revenue grew to nearly $2.9 billion. In his career, he has been instrumental in aggressive expansion in the markets, multi-format operations and attractive pricing policy that have consolidated the strength of the company.

Al-Othaim received his primary education in Riyadh schools, then joined the Scientific Institute in Riyadh. His father introduced him at an early age to the love of commerce and to fundamentals of the trade, particularly in foodstuffs. He also chairs Al Othaim Holding Company, a private company that owns and runs shopping malls and restaurants in Saudi Arabia.

Abdullah's father, Sheik Saleh Al Othaim (d. 1979), founded Saleh Al Othaim Trading Establishment in 1956, predecessor of Al-Othaim Markets. Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Othaim and his brothers continued the business and expanded it, opening a series of commercial wholesale and retail centres in the kingdom. Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets went public in 2008; Abdullah owns a 36% stake.

Forbes' 2025 rankings placed Abdullah Al-Othaim at No. 1462 on the World's Billionaires list and 17th on the list of the world's richest Arabs. He contributed to the establishment of several other companies, including Al Othaim Holding Company, Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets Company, Abdullah Al-Othaim Real Estate Investment and Development Company, Dar Al-Khuyool Contracting Company, Global Marketing Center Company, QL Real Estate Investment Company, Qassim Development Company and Qassim Construction Company.

Career History

• Director of Safola food; United Farmers Holding; Al Khair Bank; 3G Limited; SALIC Canada Ltd; SALIC UK; Minerva Foods; Continental Farmer Group
• Manager in Maqasem in Saudi Telecommunications
• Project manager in the Saudi Industrial Development Fund
• Chairman of Al Othaim Holding Company
• Chairman of Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets (current)

What Abdullah Saleh Al Othaim could bring to his role as Chairman: With over four decades of retail and investment experience spanning multiple sectors—from food wholesale and retail to real estate development, telecommunications, and financial services—Abdullah Al Othaim brings deep operational expertise in multi-format retail expansion and market transformation. His track record of building Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets into a regional powerhouse with significant regional presence, combined with his experience managing diverse corporate portfolios and his strategic investments in emerging market segments, positions him to continue driving innovation and scale in Saudi Arabia's competitive retail landscape.