Ahmed Al-Sharqi has been the Saudi General Entertainment Authority’s (GEA) chief sector development officer since January 2018.
He has also been a member of the board of directors of the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP) since February 2019.
In 2017 Al-Sharqi served as a chief operations officer with the GEA, contributing to the establishment of the entertainment industry in the Kingdom by structuring and streamlining the delivery of licensing and oversight services.
He was the mass-participation executive director on the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee between 2016 and 2017 and helped draw up the country’s strategy toward promoting exercise and physical activity.
Between 2005 and 2016, Al-Sharqi worked for Saudi Arabia’s second mobile network operator, Mobily (Etihad Etisalat Co.), holding various positions.
In 2013, he gained a master’s degree in marketing from the University of Leicester, in the UK. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering and mathematics from Vanderbilt University, in Tennessee.
On behalf of the GEA, Al-Sharqi recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Colleges of Excellence, represented by its CEO, Dr. Fahad bin Abdul Aziz Al-Tuwaijri.
The agreement aims to enhance cooperation between the two bodies and transfer expertise in the fields of training, education, and human resources development, while also promoting the entertainment sector by enrolling young Saudi talent.