Tariq Abdel Hadi Al-Qahtani is chairman of the Saudi-Japanese Business Council at the Council of Saudi Chambers.
He is one of the richest Arabs in the world, and has led the Abdel Hadi Abdullah Al-Qahtani & Sons Group of Companies since 1992.
His father, Sheikh Abdel Hadi Abdullah Al-Qahtani, founded the group in the 1940s as a wholesaler and supplier of food products and materials.
The group expanded and diversified, becoming one of the largest and most reputable privately owned firms in the Kingdom. It enjoys excellent government and commercial relationships in Saudi Arabia.
It set up in Texas in the 1970s, laying down roots in Europe and other major international locations to broaden its investment portfolio.
The company under Tariq’s stewardship has also come to supply the petrochemical, oil and gas sectors.
Speaking in Tokyo at the 17th Saudi-Japanese Business Council Forum, he said the body had significantly contributed to the development of bilateral economic relations by helping to enhance investment and trade between the two countries.
Al-Qahtani said that the value of trade between Saudi Arabia and Japan reached about $32 billion last year.
He urged the Japanese to seize investment opportunities in the Kingdom. Tariq holds a bachelor’s degree in foreign trade from St. Petersburg College, Florida.
