Modern Mills for Food Products Company appointed Majed Mazen Nofal as chief executive officer, effective July 1, 2026, the Saudi flour and animal feed manufacturer announced on June 21 following a board resolution dated June 20. The appointment ends a period of interim leadership under Ahmad Abdulkareem Hijazi, who assumed the acting CEO role on February 23, 2026, and will return to his substantive position as vice president of feed business. Nofal, who had served as an independent board member and chairman of Modern Mills' Nomination and Remuneration Committee since 2022, resigned from those roles to assume the chief executive position.
The board extended thanks to Hijazi for his stewardship during the interim period. Modern Mills said the appointment reflected Nofal's experience and track record in business transformation and operational performance. The company did not disclose whether Nofal's appointment followed a formal search process. Nofal's transition from board oversight to executive leadership marks a shift in governance structure at the publicly traded company, which listed on the Saudi Exchange in March 2024 and raised SAR 1.178 billion in its initial public offering.
Nofal brings more than 25 years of executive experience in food production, fast-moving consumer goods, and industrial manufacturing across Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. He holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from King Saud University's College of Business Administration, obtained in 1992, and completed executive programs at IMD and INSEAD. Earlier in his career, he worked for nine years in audit and assurance services at Ernst and Young in Riyadh starting in 1992. He subsequently served as chief financial officer at Western Bakeries Company (L'usine) in Jeddah for seven years before the company was acquired by Almarai, the Saudi dairy conglomerate. At Almarai, Nofal served as CEO of Western Bakeries operations for approximately four years, then held roles including head of central procurement and general manager of new businesses. He was appointed Almarai CEO in January 2020 and held various executive positions including CEO roles at Pure Beverage Water Company and Maestro Pizza by Daily Foods before joining Takween Advanced Industries as CEO in January 2023.
Modern Mills is Saudi Arabia's leading milling and nutrition company, specializing in flour, animal feed, and animal bran. The company was established in 1972 as a group of wheat mills under government ownership. It was privatized and acquired by a consortium of MADA Holding and Al Ghurair Foods in January 2021. The company operates production capacity of 1.5 million metric tons annually across three geographical segments in Khamis, Al Jumum, and Al Jowf, with products sold to bakeries, food manufacturers, hotels, restaurants, and industrial clients. Modern Mills raised SAR 1.178 billion in its IPO on March 27, 2024, at an offer price of SAR 48 per share, with 90 percent of shares allocated to institutional investors and 10 percent to retail investors.
The appointment suggests Modern Mills' board viewed Nofal's operational experience managing turnarounds and digital transformation as critical to navigating the company's next growth phase following its recent public listing. His shift from independent board oversight to executive leadership could imply the company faced pressure to stabilize operations after several months of interim leadership. Nofal's prior experience at Almarai, one of the region's largest food and beverage producers, and his track record of M&A integration positions him to address scale and efficiency priorities typical for listed Saudi food manufacturers seeking to expand market share in a competitive sector.
