Walid Afyouni

Walid Afyouni brings more than 25 years of experience in industry, with a focus on manufacturing, business development, and market expansion across the Middle East and Africa. He holds a bachelor's degree in management from the University of New South Wales, Australia, and several specialized certificates in the field of business development.

As CEO of Zoujaj Glass, Afyouni was crucial in transforming the company from having a penny stock to becoming an up-and-coming market leader. When he joined in 2023, he restructured the company and brought in new professionals in different areas of the business, reducing waste and improving efficiencies, which resulted in a large upswing in profits. In Q1 2024, the company's quarterly profits witnessed huge growth from $2.29 million to $6.11 million, and the board approved construction of a sixth production line with a $12.4-million investment expected to raise production to around 150,000 metric tons per year.

Afyouni has emphasized sustainability as central to Zoujaj's operations. He noted that the container plant in Riyadh is the only plant running on gas and electricity instead of fuel, reflecting the company's focus on sustainability, and Zoujaj recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Investment Recycling Company to create a new leading-edge recycling plant. Afyouni resigned from his position as general manager for personal reasons, effective February 3, 2026.

Career history

• CEO, Zoujaj Glass (2023–2026)
• Managing Director and Board Member, New Modern Plast Co. (Egypt)
• Business Development Regional Director for Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, ALPLA Co. (UAE)
• PET & EBM Unit General Manager, Zamil Plastic Industries
• Sales & Marketing Specialist, Napco National

What Afyouni could bring to his next opportunity: Afyouni's demonstrated ability to execute operational restructuring and drive profitability improvements in legacy manufacturing organizations—particularly his success in pivoting Zoujaj toward sustainable practices and modern production capacity—positions him well for turnaround leadership roles or chief operations officer positions in mature industrial companies seeking growth acceleration and ESG integration.