Adel Fakeih
Minister of Economy and Planning
In office
29 April 2015 – 4 November 2017
Prime MinisterKing Salman
Preceded byMuhammed Al Jasser
Succeeded byMuhammed Al Tuwaijri
Minister of Labor
In office
18 August 2010 – 29 April 2015
Prime MinisterKing Abdullah
King Salman
Preceded byGhazi Abdul Rahman Al Gosaibi
Succeeded byMufrej bin Saad Al Haqbani
Minister of Health
In office
21 April 2014 – 8 December 2014
Prime MinisterKing Abdullah
Preceded byAbdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabiah
Succeeded byMohammed bin Ali bin Hiazaa Al Hiazaa
Mayor of Jeddah
In office
March 2005 – August 2010
Prime Minister
Succeeded byHani Abu Ras
Personal details
Born
Adel bin Muhammad Fakeih

1959
Mecca, Saudi Arabia
SpouseMaha Fitaihi
Alma materKing Abdulaziz University

Adel Fakeih (Arabic:عادل فقيه; born 1 July 1959) is a Saudi Arabian engineer and the former mayor of Jeddah. He was the minister of labor from August 2010 to April 2015, minister of health between April 2014 and December 2014,[1] and minister of economy and planning between 2015 and 2017. He has been in detention since November 2017.

Early life and education

Fakeih was born in Mecca in 1959 into a family known for its active members in the fields of finance and business. His father was a businessman and published poet, and his uncle is chair of the Fakeih Group.[2] He obtained a degree in industrial engineering from King Abdulaziz University.[3]

Career

Fakeih worked in both private and public sectors, holding several prominent positions such as Chairman of Al Jazeera Bank and a member on the board of directors of the Trade and Industrial Chamber of Commerce in Jeddah.[3] He served as a member on the commissions of different organizations, including the Holy Mecca Provincial Council, the Supreme Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, the Fund for Management of Human Resources, the Hail Development Authority, the Power Services Regulation Authority, and the Al Marai Group.[4] He was chairman of the council of directors of the Saudi Arabian Glass Company and the Sagco.[5]

Chairman of Savola

From 1993 to 2005 he served as the chairman of the Savola Group, Saudi Arabia's biggest food company.[6] During this period, from 2003 to 2005, he was also the chairman of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.[7]

Mayor of Jeddah

Adel Fakeih was appointed mayor of Jeddah in March 2005.[8][9]

In 2006, the project to turn the Old Airport of Jeddah into a new 12 million m2 city was launched.[10] In 2008, the Central Jeddah Redevelopment Project, which consisted of revitalizing a 6 million m2 area including the historic downtown, was also launched.[11] In 2009, the city of Jeddah revealed the project for the construction of the King Abdullah Sports City.[12] The city unlocked a $1.3 billion budget to further develop the city's infrastructure that same year, for the construction of bridges, tunnels, roads and parks in Jeddah.[13] In 2009, he collaborated with a recruitment initiative targeting Saudi locals, Bab Rizq Jameel, and dedicated 22 market stalls to Saudi women in the Al-Safa neighborhood (northern Jeddah) to use for displaying and selling merchandise.[14]

He was replaced by Hani Abu Ras as mayor in August 2010.[15]

Minister of labor

On 18 August 2010, Adel Fakeih was appointed minister of labor, replacing Ghazi Abdul Rahman Al Gosaibi.[16]

In 2014, Adel Fakeih signed a memorandum of understanding with the Sri Lankan minister of foreign employment promotion and welfare Dilan Perera to improve the rights of Sri Lankan household workers in the Kingdom, regarding their passports and salaries.[17] He reviewed estimated figures by the Central Department of Statistics following discrepancies between unemployment data and the number of applicants to the national monthly unemployment allowance.[18] In June 2011, he introduced the Nitaqat program. It reviewed the existing quota system and made it more effective as it took into account the different sectors and sizes of companies. It also enforced sanctions on delinquent firms: following a 2013 crackdown on the black market in foreign labor, over a million people left the country.[6] He announced 38 amendments to the country's labor legislation including more training for Saudi workers, longer fixed-term contracts, and greater inspection powers for ministry officials.[19]

On 21 April 2014, Adel Fakeih also served as minister of Health to handle a major public health crisis when the Middle East respiratory syndrome broke out,[1][6] replacing Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabiah who had served since February 2009.[20] This term ended on 8 December 2014 when Mohammed bin Ali bin Hiazaa Al Hiazaa was appointed to the post.[21]

Minister of economy and planning

Adel Fakeih's term as minister of labor ended in April 2015 when he was appointed minister of economy and planning. He replaced Muhammed Al Jasser in the post,[22] and was commissioned by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to develop reforms aimed at ending the Kingdom' s vulnerability to an unpredictable oil market.[6]

In February 2016, Adel Fakeih's Economy and Planning Ministry was reported to have collaborated with the Crown Prince to develop a national transformation plan to this effect, which was officially introduced as Vision 2030 in April that same year.[6] In March 2017, he played a forefront role at a Saudi-Chinese Investment Forum in Riyadh during which 45 agreements were signed between China and the Kingdom.[23] In April 2017, he received South Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Joo Hyung-hwan to strengthen bilateral trades between the two countries, in light of the Kingdom's industries' diversification from oil.[24] He also joined the board of the Public Investment Fund.

He was removed from his position after the Royal Decree announced on 4 November 2017, replaced by his deputy Mohammad Al Tuwaijri, who was also the former Head of Global Banking and Markets, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) at The Saudi British Bank.[25]

Arrest

On 4 November 2017, Adel Fakeih was arrested in the 2017 Saudi Arabian purge conducted by a new royal anti-corruption committee.[26][27] In January 2019 Reuters reported that he was not released yet.[28]

Personal life

Fakeih's wife, Maha Fitaihi, is a leading businesswoman and social figure. They have five children.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 "Saudi Arabia: Health Official Fired". The New York Times. Reuters. 21 April 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  2. ↑ "والد المهندس عادل فقيه في ذمة الله". Aleqt (in Arabic). 12 December 2009. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Profile: New Saudi Labor Minister Adel Fakieh". Asharq Al-Awsat. 21 August 2010. Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  4. ↑ P. K. Abdul Ghafour; Muhammad Humaidan (18 August 2010). "King appoints Jeddah mayor as labor minister". Arab News. Jeddah. Archived from the original on 1 January 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  5. ↑ "Adel Fakeih". Global Competitiveness Forum. Archived from the original on 18 January 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Saudi pointman for reform has troubleshooter reputation". Reuters. 25 February 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  7. 1 2 "Jeddah Mayor Presents Development Plans". Wikileaks. 1 July 2006. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  8. ↑ The Report: Saudi Arabia 2010. Oxford Business Group. 2011. p. 217. ISBN 978-1-907065-31-6.
  9. ↑ David B. Ottaway (Summer 2012). "Saudi Arabia's Race Against Time" (PDF). Wilson Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 September 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  10. ↑ Abdul Ghafour (19 October 2006). "Jeddah's Old Airport to Become New City". Arab News. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  11. ↑ "Strategic Decisions Group Advises Arab Gulf Consortium in Central Jeddah Redevelopment Project". PR Web. 22 October 2008. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  12. ↑ Andy Sambidge (19 February 2009). "Saudi reveals vision for huge Sports City project". Arabian Business. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  13. ↑ Matt Warnock (24 September 2009). "Jeddah commits US$1.3bn to infrastructure". Construction Week. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  14. ↑ "أمين جدة يدشن مشروع البسطات النسائية". Al Riyadh (in Arabic). 30 April 2009. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  15. ↑ Abdulaziz Ghazzawi (23 August 2010). "New mayor visits Jeddah's eastern districts". Saudi Gazette. Jeddah. Archived from the original on 6 September 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  16. ↑ Ed Attwood (19 August 2010). "Saudi Arabia appoints new labour minister". Arabian Business. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  17. ↑ "Sponsors can't withhold passports of Sri Lankan domestics anymore". Arab News. 14 January 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  18. ↑ "Saudi Arabia's Race Against Time" (PDF). Wilson Center. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  19. ↑ "Govt overhauls labor law". Arab News. 7 April 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  20. ↑ Mustapha Ajbaili (21 April 2014). "Saudi Health Minister 'relieved of his post'". Al Arabiya. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  21. ↑ "King Abdullah names new ministers". Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Washington DC. 8 December 2014. Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  22. ↑ "King empowers next generation". Arab News. 29 April 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  23. ↑ "500 Saudis, Chinese businessmen discuss new opportunities". Arab News. 17 March 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  24. ↑ Jung Suk-yee (7 April 2017). "S. Korean Companies to Participate in Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 Project". Business Korea. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  25. ↑ "Saudi king sacks top ministers, gives more power to crown prince". Reuters. 4 November 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  26. ↑ "Saudi Arabia princes detained, ministers dismissed". Al Jazeera.
  27. ↑ Stephen Kalin; Paul Katie (5 November 2017). "Future Saudi king tightens grip on power with arrests including Prince Alwaleed". Reuters. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  28. ↑ "Saudi businessman, two consultants released from detention: sources". Reuters. Riyadh. 24 January 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
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