Mohammed Awlia is General Manager, Strategy & Planning of Ministry of Sports, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed is a highly experienced entrepreneur with a track record of success in the business world. He began his career as a founding partner of Oil Barrel Collection, a fashion, furniture, and lifestyle brand, scaling it to operate in the GCC and the UK while studying at university in London. He was then recognized as one of the Top 100 Entrepreneurs Shaping Saudi Arabia’s Future by Forbes Middle East.
With a strong background in strategy and private equity, Mohammed has worked with McKinsey & Company, where he led projects across different industries and geographies such as the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, UAE, Japan, Oman, Greece, and Germany, and also worked at Alkhabeer Capital as part of the private equity team, where he was involved in identifying potential investment opportunities, conducting due diligence, and leading investments.
In his last role, he served as the Managing Director KSA of Homzmart, a leading furniture marketplace in the MENA region that has raised over $40M. He led the expansion and kick-off of the Saudi operations and is now leading the market, focusing on growth and scale-up.
Mohammed then moved into government and he is currently the General Manager of Strategy & Planning and General Manager of Special Projects at the Ministry of Sports for the Saudi Arabia Government.
Mohammed holds advanced degrees from Imperial College London, where he earned an MSc in Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Management, and from King’s College London, where he earned a BA in International Politics.
Mohammed is also a speaker at Beyond Activ EMEA in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
