Fawaz Farooqui has been chief adviser to the minister at the Ministry of Culture since November 2018, heading up developments and projects related to cultural development and tourism. He was recently appointed interim CEO of the Red Sea Cruise Co. Â
He has been managing director of AlUla Development Co. since May 2020, and a part-time board member at Saudia airline and flyadeal since July 2020. He has been a board member of the Saudi Sports for All Federation since October 2018.
Farooqui previously worked at the National Transformation Program as director general from February 2017 to November 2018, and was CEO from March 2017 to November 2018.Â
He was a board member of the Quality of Life Program between October 2017 and September 2019.
Farooqui joined the government in October 2015 when he was adviser to the minister at the Ministry of Economy and Planning until November 2018.
At King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), he worked at Emaar, the Economic City as senior manager for corporate business development between June 2014 and October 2015, and senior manager for special projects between September 2013 and June 2014.
Farooqui worked at Saudi Aramco for seven years, holding different positions from 2004, working as a network engineer and field team leader for the Satellite Support Group until 2011 where was manager of the Network Operations Center (NOC).
He gained a bachelor’s degree in political science, and computer engineering and computer science from the University of Southern California in 2004, and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the same university in 2008.
He completed his MBA at Stanford University Graduate School of Business in 2013.