Jassim Al Khalifa is an independent member of the Board of Directors at National Finance House (NFH) and serves as the Industry Leader for Financial Institutions and Professional Services across Saudi Arabia and Bahrain for Marsh McLennan. He delves into his vision for Saudi Arabia on a global scale. With 25 years of experience, Jassim has led his career and life with a deep regard for strategy, governance, consultation, and inclusivity. Being a seasoned executive in financial services and governance, he is an ardent believer in the power of Vision 2030. Early Upbringing Born and brought up in Saudi Arabia, Jassim's family has always believed that humanity, humility, and compassion are paramount for leading a life that is not centered on the self but aims care & lead by example to family and to uplift others.They ensured his upbringing was multifaceted, with education a crucial aspect and an emphasis on being a good human being. Because of his parents and elders, he grew up with an innate respect for people of all ages and also became a lifelong learner, guided by the syllabus from the book of life. His parents were also instrumental in making him understand that true leadership is about serving others. Family Environment He mentions how his family had a profound influence on him and shaped his worldview. He says, “Whenever there was a family gathering, the discussions centered on advice and collective decision-making. This led to my lifelong passion for the appreciation of governance, strategy, and inclusivity.” He appreciates his Saudi and Gulf roots, which have enabled him to lead with compassion and dignity. He also feels that leadership was ingrained in him early on, as his childhood reflected the same. Given these aspects, he remains a steadfast advocate for the transformative potential of business to uplift his family members and societies, creating long term impact. Inclination Towards Financial Systems Jassim acknowledges, “When leading or participating in a transformation at any organization, initial resistance taught me that change succeeds only when people feel ownership & trust in leadership. I created cross functional task forces that turned skeptics into advocates. He feels that achieving equilibrium between ambition and ethics is pivotal. Having always been enamoured with the financial systems, he feels that this ambition and passion have led him to his current path. Education and Certification As a Certified Director from GCC BDI and an INSEAD International Directors Programme graduate (IDP-C), he holds an Advanced Diploma in Insurance from the Bahrain Institute of Banking & Finance and an Advanced Diploma in Business Management & Marketing from Jubail Industrial College. He has been enrolled in the VCPE & EMBA program at SMU since August 2025, in addition to the GCC BDI Diploma, which ended in October 2025. A lifelong learner, he is a keen believer that a person should never stop learning and adapting. Thoughts on GCC Jassim feels that in the GCC, leadership is shaped by the values of majlis culture, which guide open dialogue, respect and shared wisdom in decision making. Taking this into account, he has moulded his leadership style in a manner that pays homage to the spirit of shura (consultation), meticulously channeling the modern governance framework and amalgamating it with traditional values of integrity. Family Business and Philosophy He gives advice for family businesses and entrepreneurs and remarks, “For family businesses, the shift from founder led to institution led models requires courage. My advice: select people carefully & embed governance early, not as control, but as a framework for growth and succession.” Jassim says, “Leadership is the ability to create clarity, foster trust, and empower people to achieve collective excellence. My philosophy has evolved through navigating crises, restructures, and strategic transformations, always imbuing empathy, inclusion and results rooted in ethics. I believe that true leaders combine data driven reasoning with emotional intelligence and cultural awareness. Leadership and Vision Jassim serves as the Industry Leader for Financial Institutions and Professional Services in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain at Marsh McLennan. In this capacity, he heads the strategic initiatives proposition across the market, provides guidance to financial institutions and regulatory bodies, and delivers integrated solutions that blend risk advisory, human capital expertise and strategic consultancy via Industry laser focus value proposition, account planning and stakeholder inclusion, working and capitalizing on Marsh, Mercer, Guy Carpenter, and Oliver Wyman as an exceptional industry approach by Marsh McLennan. He also sits on the Board of Directors at National Finance House, where he plays a pivotal role in strengthening governance frameworks, ensuring strategic alignment, and overseeing the Executive Committee. Balancing his public and private sector mandates, Jassim remains guided by Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and its goal of building world class institutions rooted in culture, governance, innovation, and sustainability. Through his recent membership on the Virtual Advisory Board (VAB), he extends his reach beyond Saudi Arabia and the GCC, reinforcing his position as a trusted advisor to regional and global boards that drive strategic transformation. Awards and Achievements Jassim has won many leadership awards throughout his career, including the Global Excellence Leadership Award, an initiative of Brand Empower Pvt. Limited. GEA is considered one of the most prestigious corporate awards, honoring the very best veterans across distinct industries worldwide. Shedding light on Vision 2030, he continues, My proudest achievement is piloting AXA Saudi full retail echo system in 2013 and settling one of the largest claim about SAR190m in less than 9month and currently leading the first Financial Industry & Professional Services proposition of Marsh McLennan’s organisational model in the world and our region to align with Vision 2030 sectors, enhancing board effectiveness at NFH, and mentoring the next generation of leaders within the financial ecosystem. A Connected Circle His work has a significant interconnectedness with the Kingdom institutional transformation. He mentions that the SAMA 2024 financial sector development report highlights stronger governance, risk maturity, and institutional resilience, areas that align with his board work at NFH. The creation of the National Center for Family Businesses also reinforces the national focus on succession and continuity. In this landscape, the unified One Marsh McLennan brand and its role as an industry leader for financial institutions and professional services become even more relevant, as they enable support for regulators, financial institutions, and family enterprises through fully integrated advisory capabilities. He further adds that this alignment with Vision 2030 reflects how both his board's responsibilities and his industry leadership complement each other and strengthen the financial ecosystem. A Bright Future His plans for the future highlight his vision for a better future, which he believes in with all his heart and soul. The biggest one is building cross-border partnerships to support sustainable finance and advance boardroom effectiveness through strong governance and strategic foresight. Jassim Al Khalifa's leadership is defined by integrity, vision, and humanity. Guided by deep family values, he places his loved ones and community at the center of every decision. With humility and candor, he continues to lead by example, advancing progress not only in business but in the broader culture of leadership and society.

Saudi Arabia plans to release an updated strategy for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s $2tn economic diversification agenda as the kingdom adjusts its policies and spending priorities amid fiscal pressures.The government has begun discussing how to communicate its strategy for the next five years, Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan said in an interview with Bloomberg Television at the recent AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies in Saudi Arabia.**media[415260]**He listed tourism, manufacturing, logistics and technology as focal areas but stopped short of offering more details or saying when the strategy would be released.The International Monetary Fund is among those that have called for more clarity and communication from the Saudi government, which is redrawing its plans for major projects including new stadiums for the FIFA World Cup in 2034.Saudi Arabia has been working to fine-tune its strategy for the Vision 2030 agenda to diversify the economy away from oil as it seeks to shrink its budget deficit. It has specifically sharpened its focus on spending more efficiently, a move that would help combat periods of volatility in oil prices and revenues.Drawing more private capital and foreign investment have also become bigger priorities.“We continue really to reprioritise, rework our policies, making sure that we enhance as we go to ensure that we enable the private sector to lead the economy,” al-Jadaan said on the sidelines of the event, co-hosted by the IMF and Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Finance.Saudi Arabia has been running budget deficits since 2022 as spending on economic diversification initiatives outpace revenues that have been dented by anaemic oil prices.Officials have said sustained shortfalls are a deliberate choice being made to continue to support investment in the economy. They see the deficit shrinking to 3.3% this year from 5.3% in 2025, while Wall Street economists estimate the figure will be far higher.The kingdom predicted its total financing needs will amount to about $58bn this year as it looks to plug its budget gap.“We have quite a wide network of channels that we can tap in case we need more than what we have planned for,” al-Jadaan said Tuesday.He highlighted the Saudi economy as a key point of strength. Gross domestic product expanded at the fastest pace in three years in 2025, with the oil sector emerging as a stronger engine of growth under new Opec+ supply policy.