
Who's Who: Shahid Khan, Global Head of Media, Entertainment, Sports, and Culture sector at Arthur D. Little (ADL)
Shahid Khan is the global head of media, entertainment, sports and culture at Arthur D. Little (ADL), the world's oldest management consulting firm.
Born and raised in Kuwait and fluent in Arabic, Khan brings a globally informed yet locally grounded perspective shaped by a 25-year professional career across the US, Europe and the GCC.
In recent years, he has centered his efforts on Saudi Arabia's transformation under Vision 2030.
As part of this commitment, he relocated to the region and moved ADL's global headquarters for the MESC practice to Riyadh, from where he leads the firm's global engagements.
Since 2018, Khan has served as a trusted adviser to a range of Saudi entities — including ministries, regulators, commissions, sovereign wealth funds, and leaders from the private and non-profit sectors.
His work spans media, entertainment, sports, gaming, culture, tourism, hospitality and other adjacent sectors.
Khan's advisory scope includes sector development and enablement, policy and regulatory design, innovation, value creation, commercialization, investment and transaction advisory, partnerships and sponsorships, branding, marketing & communications, digitalization, business incubation & venture building, and large-scale transformations.
His commitment to the region is evident in his work and approach. He and his team are known for going beyond traditional consulting outputs — delivering tangible, lasting results that support long-term sustainable impact. Additionally, Khan has contributed to the Kingdom's creative economy through advisory roles, including serving on the boards of the Saudi Film Fund and Sandbox.
Before anchoring his work in the Middle East, Khan spent more than two decades immersed in the Hollywood and wider global media and technology space. He held senior leadership roles at consulting firms such as IBM Global Services, BearingPoint, Zefer, and Accenture (formerly IBB Consulting), and worked with industry giants including Disney, NBC Universal, Time Inc., Dow Jones, Conde Nast, WWE, and GolfNow among many others.
As a serial entrepreneur, he founded Mediamorph, a revolutionary cloud-based platform that transformed how digital content is bought and sold. The platform earned the Cablefax Tech Award, was named in Deloitte's Fast 500, and was later acquired by Whip Media Group. He also launched MAG (Meridian Advisory Group), a boutique consultancy focused on media, entertainment, sports, and tech & wireless innovation, which was recognized by Consulting Magazine as one of its 'Seven Small Jewels' before being acquired by ADL in 2021.
Khan earned his MBA in finance and marketing from New York University's Stern School of Business. He is an active member of the Young Presidents' Organization — having served on the board of the Manhattan chapter, and is now a member of the Saudi chapter — and is a former board member of NATPE, a global content industry association. His contributions have been recognized through accolades such as 'Top 25 Digital Transformation Leaders' and '50 Outstanding Asian Americans in Business.'
Khan is a proud father of two, who are already carrying his legacy forward – his son is in investment banking at Jefferies, focused on media, entertainment, and sports, while his daughter is following a similar path at LionTree.
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Arab News
13 hours ago
- Arab News
Saudi Arabia reshapes workforce with surge in talent mobility solutions
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'As it works to connect skilled workers with employers in high-demand sectors such as technology and healthcare, Taqat facilitates seamless transitions, enhances career opportunities, and addresses critical skill shortages in the evolving job market,' he added. Navigating compliance and change Saudi Arabia's workforce is also being shaped by demographic and regulatory dynamics. Abeer Al-Husseini, partner at Fragomen, noted that by the end of 2024, the Kingdom's foreign workforce had grown to over 13.6 million, marking a 13.3 percent year-on-year increase and a 33.4 percent jump since 2019. 'In this environment, mobility providers are essential in helping businesses navigate regulatory frameworks such as Saudization policies under the Nitaqat program, sector-specific quotas, and compliance obligations set by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development,' Al-Husseini said. 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Faisal Al-Sarraj, KSA deputy country leader and consulting clients and markets leader at PwC Middle East, underscored the value of internal talent marketplaces — digital tools that align employee skills and interests with internal opportunities. 'As Saudi Arabia continues to advance under Vision 2030, organizations need to be proactive in building teams with the needed market skills. Talent mobility helps with this by upskilling and cross-training existing employees,' Al-Sarraj told Arab News. He acknowledged that while external hiring remains necessary for certain critical roles, internal mobility is gaining ground as a strategy for boosting retention and responsiveness. Mobility providers are essential in helping businesses navigate regulatory frameworks, sector-specific quotas, and compliance obligations. Abeer Al-Husseini, partner at Fragomen 'Providers also help organizations shift from reactive hiring to proactive workforce planning. By using advanced tools, they help companies forecast what skills will be needed in the future and develop strategies to reskill employees. Providers like Mercer, Adecco, Bayt, and Naseej are doing an excellent job in this space,' he said. Serge Eid, a member of Bain & Co.'s Public Sector practice, noted that providers are extending their services beyond hiring logistics to include skilling initiatives and regional talent deployment — key factors for scaling in emerging sectors. 'This support has become increasingly critical as businesses look to scale quickly, pivot into new sectors, or access regional talent pools,' Eid said. 'They also support Vision 2030's broader push for a more dynamic and globally integrated labor market.' AI and reskilling for career growth Mobility providers are increasingly focusing on reskilling and internal progression through AI-driven tools that align employee growth with business and national objectives. Cotrone highlighted the growing need for new roles such as AI specialists and data analysts, which are being addressed through targeted training programs. Importantly, these services enhance retention by making career development tangible. Francesco Cotronei, partner at Arthur D. Little 'Importantly, these services enhance retention by making career development tangible. Companies that offer clear growth pathways, mentoring, and internal mobility opportunities are not only accelerating role fulfillment. They're also building employee loyalty, engagement, and hence, retention,' he said. Al-Husseini added that talent mobility providers help businesses reimagine career paths as technology and regulations evolve. PwC's Al-Sarraj cited platforms such as Pymetrics, Fuel50, and Cornerstone OnDemand that offer employees AI-powered tools to map career journeys and personalize upskilling efforts. He referenced a recent collaboration between Education for Employment Saudi Arabia and Agility, which launched a program using AI tools to help young job seekers tailor their applications and navigate the job market. These efforts not only fill capability gaps but also signal long-term investment in people. Serge Eid, member of Bain & Co.'s public sector practice 'This is a perfect example of how talent mobility can help not just in employee transitions but also in creating a workforce that's future-ready,' Al-Sarraj noted. Eid added that such investments in internal mobility signal long-term commitment to employee growth, improving loyalty and performance. 'These efforts not only fill capability gaps but also signal long-term investment in people, which in turn drives loyalty, higher engagement, and better performance,' he said. Strategic drivers for 2025 and beyond Looking ahead, talent mobility is poised to become a central driver of workforce strategy in Saudi Arabia. Cotrone expects key trends to include personalized, experience-rich career paths and an increasing demand for data analytics literacy. 'Talent mobility providers will increasingly act as strategic partners, helping organizations create adaptive, future-proof talent ecosystems,' he said. He added: 'Talent mobility will be recognized not just as a business advantage but as a profound national imperative. As organizations invest in intelligent, internally driven workforce systems, they will unlock new pathways for growth and ensure that Saudi talent remains competitive, empowered, and at the heart of the Kingdom's cross-sectoral transformation journey.' Al-Husseini projected that companies would require rapid, compliant deployment solutions as sectors like healthcare, tourism, and tech expand. At the same time, local workforce development will become a priority, with providers playing a key role in integrating Saudi talent through internal mobility frameworks and reskilling for leadership roles. She also pointed to the rise of hybrid and remote work, particularly in sustainability-related 'green jobs,' requiring providers to support flexible, compliant mobility strategies. PwC's Al-Sarraj emphasized the growing role of predictive workforce planning, enabled by real-time data analytics. 'The alignment between workforce mobility and national upskilling initiatives will also be a major trend,' he said. He highlighted initiatives like Wa3d, which aims to provide 3 million training opportunities, and the Skills Accelerator, targeting 300,000 placements in emerging fields. 'Talent mobility providers will connect these initiatives to real job opportunities, ensuring that individuals gain the right skills and can apply them directly in the workforce,' he said. He also cited the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development's Skills Taxonomy — a tool to align labor capabilities with evolving job demands. Cross-sector mobility, especially in digital health and green energy, is expected to play a vital role. 'Talent mobility providers will drive transitions, helping build a skilled, adaptable workforce essential to realizing Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and sustaining long-term growth,' he added. From Bain & Co.'s standpoint, Eid believes mobility will evolve into a strategic lever rather than just an operational function. 'AI-led workforce planning, demand forecasting, and personalized career pathways will increasingly inform mobility decisions,' he said. 'Organizations that view mobility as part of a broader talent strategy will likely be better positioned to navigate future workforce shifts and build resilience in a rapidly changing environment.'


Saudi Gazette
15 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
11 agreements inked that set to bring Dutch entities into SAFTA
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Leaders
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- Leaders
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