GE appoints new president and CEO for KSA, Bahrain

GE yesterday announced the appointment of Hisham Albahkali, a Saudi national, as the president and CEO for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. He was previously Saudi Arabia's executive for GE Energy.
Albahkali will lead the operations of GE, which has a heritage of over 80 years in the Kingdom, into strategic growth areas with a focus on localization and innovation. He will continue to strengthen the presence of GE in sectors such as oil and gas, power, water, aviation and health care, in addition to aligning the company's development programs in line with the Saudi Vision 2020 to promote diversification and knowledge sharing.
Nabil Habayeb, GE's president and CEO for the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, said: "Saudi Arabia is one of our core markets in the region, where we have established long-term partnerships in growth sectors that bring a positive difference to the well-being of the people. We will continue to partner with the Kingdom's growth goals emphasizing on economic diversification, creating jobs for its talented youngsters and promoting regional research. Hisham Albahkali has tremendous insights into the Saudi Arabian market having been associated with several key projects, and will work towards further driving our growth in the Kingdom."
Albahkali said: "Saudi Arabia is witnessing one of the most exciting developmental phases, with strong investments in new and emerging technologies. GE's focus on creating localized solutions and investing in long-term development will be strong assets in supporting the Kingdom. Our priority areas will be to strengthen our existing partnerships, and continuing to create more growth opportunities for skilled Saudi professionals."
He assumes the new responsibility from Walid Abukhaled, who leaves GE at the end of 2012 to pursue external interests.