Roshn Group, Saudi Arabia's flagship real estate developer backed by the Public Investment Fund, has appointed Naaman Atallah as chief executive officer effective September 2026, marking the company's first permanent CEO in more than two years. Atallah, 52, was most recently president of Al-Futtaim Real Estate at the UAE-based conglomerate Al-Futtaim Group, which manages diversified operations across automotive, retail and real estate. The appointment ends a prolonged leadership vacuum at one of the kingdom's most strategically important companies as Saudi Arabia pursues its Vision 2030 economic transformation agenda.
The appointment comes against the backdrop of Roshn's contentious leadership transition. The company had not had a permanent CEO since early 2024, when British executive David Grover was removed and accused of conflicts of interest. Grover denied the allegations and subsequently filed a lawsuit claiming over $100 million in unpaid bonuses and wrongful termination, alleging breach of contract related to performance-based compensation. Since Grover's departure, PIF executives operated Roshn as acting CEOs, creating uncertainty at a company central to the kingdom's housing initiatives. Roshn confirmed Atallah's appointment, though the company did not initially announce a search process or identify an external search firm involvement in the recruitment.
Atallah brings more than 30 years of real estate experience across major regional developers. He previously served as Group CEO of Dubai-based Nakheel Properties from 2020 to 2025, overseeing the iconic Palm Jumeirah and other major master-planned communities. Before Nakheel, he held the CEO position at Piramal Realty in India from 2017 to 2020 and at Dubai Properties from 2015 to 2017. His career also encompasses senior roles at Qatar's Qatari Diar, where he served as chief operating officer and chief development officer, and at Dubai's Emaar Properties, where he held positions as COO and executive director of marketing and sales. Atallah earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas and an MBA from Pepperdine University in California. He completed the Advanced Management Programme at INSEAD and was ranked among Forbes Middle East's most powerful CEOs in 2021 and ninth among most impactful real estate leaders in the Middle East in 2024.
Roshn Group, established in 2020 as a PIF megaproject, stands as Saudi Arabia's leading multi-asset class real estate developer with a portfolio exceeding 200 million square metres. The company develops human-centric, integrated residential communities across the kingdom aligned with Vision 2030 objectives, including flagship projects such as SEDRA and WAREFA in Riyadh, ALAROUS in Jeddah, ALMANAR in Makkah and ALDANAH in Dhahran. Roshn also operates mixed-use destinations like MARAFY and ROSHN Front, alongside sports venues including ROSHN Stadium. The company supports the government's goal of increasing home ownership among Saudi citizens to 70 percent and aims to house approximately 2.2 million people through its developments by 2030.
Atallah's appointment addresses a critical gap in PIF's leadership structure, as multiple sovereign wealth fund-backed megaprojects have faced prolonged CEO vacancies. Industry analysts suggest his extensive track record managing large-scale residential and mixed-use developments positions him to accelerate project delivery and stabilize operations after the leadership disruption of recent years. The timing of the appointment appears strategic, coming as Saudi Arabia seeks to demonstrate governance stability in its state-backed enterprises amid ongoing economic transformation initiatives. His shift from Al-Futtaim, a family-owned conglomerate, to Roshn, a government-controlled megaproject, represents a significant strategic move that may signal PIF's emphasis on recruiting proven operational leaders with regional experience to direct its most visible infrastructure initiatives.
