Biography: Khalid Saleh al-Mudaifer became president and CEO of Maaden in December 2010. From 1984, he worked for nine years with Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic), before leaving to join the local Qassim Cement Company as director general and secretary of the board of directors. He joined Maaden in 2006 and has held positions including vice-president for industrial affairs and vice-president of phosphates and new business development. Al-Mudaifer has been involved in much of Maaden’s recent expansions, including its metals, mining and fertiliser operations at Ras al-Khair in the Eastern Province. He graduated from King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals in Dhahran with an engineering degree in 1984, and completed a master’s degree in business administration in 1987.

Contact Tel: (+966) 11 874 8000

Biography: Khalil al-Watban has enjoyed a career of nearly 30 years in Saudi Arabia’s petrochemicals industry, and is now one of the kingdom’s most important phosphates executives. Al-Watban became Maaden’s acting vice-president of phosphates in August 2013, and is carrying out the role in tandem with his job as president of Maaden Phosphates Company, which he took up in 2011. He is taking a hands-on approach to the world’s largest phosphate fertilisers project, the $7bn Waad al-Shamal scheme, where his experience will be essential. Prior to joining Maaden, Al-Watban worked predominantly for Sabic in positions including chairman of Arabian Industrial Fibers Company (Ibn Rushd), and technical and project director of Saudi Arabian Fertiliser Company (Safco). He graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Basrah in Iraq in 1985.

Contact Tel: (+966) 11 874 8000

Biography: Sabic is set to buy a 15 per cent stake in the Waad al-Shamal project and Fahad al-Sheaibi could play a key role in this venture for the petrochemicals giant. The $7bn phosphates city is Sabic’s second fertilisers scheme with Maaden, with the first being a world-scale plant at Ras al-Khair. Al-Sheaibi has worked for several Sabic business units in roles including vice-president of polymers and vice-president of polyvinyl chloride and polyester. He was appointed vice-president of fertilisers in October 2006 and has played an important part in Sabic’s extensive fertiliser expansion over the past seven years. Al-Sheaibi also holds various directorships at Sabic. He serves on the boards of firms including Saudi Yanbu Petrochemicals Company (Yanpet) and Sabic Europe. Al-Sheaibi has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from King Saud University.

Contact Tel: (+966) 11 225 8000

Biography: The US-based Mosaic Company is the world’s largest producer of phosphate fertilisers and has a 25 per cent stake in the Waad al-Shamal scheme. James Prokopanko has been president and CEO of Mosaic since 2007, joining the firm a year earlier as executive vice-president and chief operating officer. Prior to this, Prokopanko spent 28 years at the US’ Cargill, an agricultural trader, where he served in various roles including executive head of procurement and vice-president of its North American retail agriculture department. He has extensive overseas experience and has worked in countries including Canada, the UK, Argentina and Brazil. Prokopanko sits on the boards of Canadian potash exporter Canpotex and the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota among others. He has a master of business administration from the University of Western Ontario in Canada.

Contact Tel: (+1) 763 577 2700 

Biography: The US-based Fluor Corporation is carrying out project management consultancy (PMC) work for the technical units planned for the Waad al-Shamal project. The majority of these are currently at the tender stage after the US’ Jacobs Engineering carried out the front-end engineering and design. Stephen Dobbs is responsible for a diverse range of markets in his position at Fluor, including infrastructure, telecoms, life sciences, heavy manufacturing and mining. Dobbs joined Fluor in 1980 and has been based in several locations including southern Africa, Europe and China. He specialises in project finance, and his previous roles include advising the Finance Ministry in the Netherlands on matters relating to public-private partnerships and private finance. Dobbs has a doctorate in engineering from Texas A&M University in the US.

Contact Tel: (+44) 207 651 7777

Biography: David Welch joined the US’ Bechtel in 2008, after a long career as a US diplomat. Bechtel is responsible for the design and PMC for the infrastructure at the Waad al-Shamal scheme. The work includes transport links as well as support services for the technical units. Welch served as the US assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs between 2005 and 2008, guiding US diplomacy in the Middle East, including dealing with Iran and Israel. Prior to that, he served as the US ambassador to Egypt and held other diplomatic posts in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and Pakistan. Earlier in his career, Welch served on the US’ National Security Staff council. He is a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy and the American Foreign Service Association. Welch graduated from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in the US in 1975. 

Contact Tel: (+1) 469 398 7000