Riyadh Steel Company has appointed Dr. Khalid Al-Yahya to its board of directors, the company announced on January 20, 2026. The appointment adds a government policy specialist and established director with multiple board memberships across financial services and manufacturing sectors to the manufacturing company's leadership governance structure. The timing reflects Riyadh Steel's continued professionalization of its board amid Saudi Arabia's broader economic diversification and domestic industrial expansion.
Dr. Al-Yahya brings an extensive background in public sector strategy and management. He previously served as secretary general of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and chairman of the Saudi Management Consulting Association. He held the position of deputy secretary general of the G20 Saudi Secretariat, where he led work on economic policy development, international coordination, and government capacity building. According to his professional biography, he represented Saudi Arabia at international conferences and G20 Summits. Al-Yahya holds a doctorate in comparative public policy and management from the University of Connecticut, an MBA from the University of Hartford, and a bachelor's degree from King Saud University, along with fellowship credentials from Harvard University. He has served as a senior adviser to international organizations including the World Bank, UNDP, and OECD.
Al-Yahya's recent professional roles demonstrate his cross-sector experience. Between 2013 and 2015, he worked as general manager of Saudi Accenture before joining Palladium in Riyadh as general manager. He has also held consulting leadership positions at KPMG Saudi Arabia as head of the government sector consultancy department. Beyond his operational roles, he holds board memberships at multiple institutions, including Al Rajhi Capital, MetLife AIG ANB Cooperative Insurance Co., and serves as chair of State Street Saudi Arabia Financial Solutions. He was recognized as a keynote speaker at more than 120 international conferences across 30 countries, including World Economic Forum Davos and the Global Competitiveness Forum.
Riyadh Steel Company, established in 1995, is a leading steel manufacturer in Saudi Arabia and the GCC region specializing in flat bars, angle bars, and processed scrap. The company operates an integrated supply chain spanning scrap collection, preparation, melting, and rolling operations, with annual production capacity of approximately 90,000 tons of bars, 150,000 tons of billets, and 220,000 tons of processed scrap. The company targets the building and metal forming sectors and has maintained ASTM A36 certification standards. Chief Executive Officer Ahmed bin Abdulkarim Al-Nafi previously outlined plans for capacity expansion and product diversification through a new production facility near Riyadh.
The appointment suggests board-level positioning for governance strengthening as the regional steel sector faces sustained demand. Industry forecasts anticipate Middle East and North Africa iron consumption growth at 3.3 percent annually through 2026, with project values in the region estimated at approximately 2.3 trillion dollars, driven substantially by government infrastructure initiatives in Saudi Arabia. Dr. Al-Yahya's background in government policy coordination and his track record in cross-sector strategic roles could support Riyadh Steel's positioning for potential expansion during this growth phase, though the company has not publicly disclosed specific strategic mandates for the appointment. The appointment is consistent with emerging trends among Saudi manufacturing companies to strengthen board composition with executives experienced in public-private coordination and government relations.
