His Excellency Dr. Ibrahim Abdullah bin Salamah

Dr. Ibrahim Ibn Salamah (1940–2021) was a founding architect of Saudi Arabia's petrochemical industry and one of the nation's most influential industrial pioneers. Born in 1940 in Riyadh, he earned a scholarship to study Mathematics and Economics at Stephen Austin University in Texas, graduating in 1968. Upon returning to Saudi Arabia, he joined the Research & Industrial Development Center established in 1967 by Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Trade in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

He joined SABIC at its formation in 1976 as Director General of Planning and Studies, where he played a key role in evaluating early projects and negotiating SABIC's first wave of joint ventures with international partners. In 1983, he assumed the top position of Vice Chairman and Managing Director of SABIC, serving until 1998. During his tenure, he steered the company from a nascent enterprise into a global petrochemical powerhouse, leading the development of the C1 and C2 value chains from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s. Under his leadership, SABIC became one of the top 25 diversified chemical companies in the world, exporting to over 75 countries.

As Chairman of Saudi Iron and Steel Company (Hadeed) and Steel Rolling Company (SULB), Ibn Salamah oversaw their formation and significant expansion. He also served on the Boards of Aluminum Bahrain (ALBA) and Gulf Aluminum Rolling Mill (GARMCO). In recognition of his remarkable contribution to the Kingdom's industrial development, the University of Bradford (UK) awarded him an honorary D.Sc./Ph.D. in Management in 1997.

Career History

• Director General of Planning and Studies, SABIC (1976–1983)
• Vice Chairman and Managing Director, SABIC (1983–1998)
• Chairman of Saudi Iron and Steel Company (Hadeed) and Steel Rolling Company (SULB) (post-1998)
• Founder and Chairman, ADDAR GROUP, industrial services conglomerate (1999 onwards)

Ibn Salamah's visionary leadership and strategic expansion of SABIC's global reach positioned Saudi Arabia as a leading petrochemical hub and reduced the nation's reliance on oil revenues through industrial diversification. His deep commitment to human capital development and employee training became a hallmark of his tenure, establishing SABIC's reputation as a knowledge-driven enterprise that transferred cutting-edge technology to Saudi Arabia.