Top 100 Arabs 2024

62. Wadha Ahmed Al-Khateeb

CEO, Kuwait National Petroleum Company

Origin: Kuwait

Residence: Kuwait

Sector: Energy

2023 Rank: 66

Al-Khateeb assumed her role as CEO of Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) in November 2022.

The energy firm exported its first shipment of 95-octane automotive fuel to European markets in July 2023. KNPC also reported an annual profi t of $3.31bn (KWD1.02bn) in the year ended March 31, 2023, a 198 per cent increase from KWD341.4m a year earlier. She also doubles as the vice chairperson of the Gulf Downstream Association. Prior to her current role, she was previously the deputy CEO of Mina Abdullah refinery.

Al-Khateeb was also previously a member of the Natural Reserves Committee and the Oil Spill Combating Plan Committee for the State of Kuwait and the chairperson of the Kuwait Paraxylene Production Company.

KNPC launched its 2040 Updated Strategy in March of last year, an initiative that Al-Khateeb is now expected to drive forward and implement.

Elie Saab

Mona Ataya