C-suite HR leaders play a key role in shaping a company’s workforce strategy to align with its goals, overseeing everything in HR—from bringing in top talent to developing employees and building a positive workplace culture. They also emphasise people’s experience, which is essential in today’s evolving workplaces. And they’re not just solving today’s problems; they’re also looking ahead, spotting potential challenges, and preparing the organisation to handle them seamlessly.

Recently, Nicolas Manset spoke with People Matters about the turnover of CHROs in the Middle East. He highlighted that this region is currently experiencing rapid growth and change, which puts pressure on boards, CEOs, and CHROs to secure the right talent and skills. He also emphasised that CHROs are now more influential than ever, serving as key strategic advisors to CEOs. As boards and CEOs in the Middle East increasingly focus on employee engagement amid these transformations, they can trust their CHROs to guide them through this critical shift.

Here are the key C-suite HR leaders appointments in the Middle East for the month of October. These HR leaders are at the forefront of driving transformation in their organisations:

Fara Siddiqi 

Dulsco Group welcomed Fara Siddiqi as the Group Chief Human Resources Officer. She brings over two decades of HR excellence across the UAE, Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Known for her expertise in board-level HR strategy, culture building, and executive coaching, she will lead Dulsco’s HR initiatives to support business goals. She will also oversee Dulsco Group’s HR functions—including Dulsco People, Dulsco Environment, Parisima Talent, and Advance Global Recruitment—and work with leadership to drive continuous improvement, talent management, retention, and nationalisation. Before Dulsco, she spent over seven years as Group CHRO at Aster DM Healthcare.

Waseem Hassan

BEEAH Group welcomed Waseem Hassan as Group Chief Human Capital Officer, succeeding Najib Makarem, who stepped down from the role in August. He brings nearly two decades of HR leadership experience across top sectors in the UAE. Before his appointment, he spent over two years as a Human Capital Advisor for PwC Middle East, helping shape HR strategies and organisational structures. Previously, as Chief People Officer and Chief Transformation Officer at Medical Group, he strengthened performance-driven cultures, promoted diversity and inclusion, and built cross-cultural cohesion.

Jacob Jacob

Aster DM Healthcare welcomed Jacob Jacob as the new CHRO, succeeding Fara Siddiqi. Jacob brings over 27 years of global HR leadership experience across diverse markets. Before joining Aster DM Healthcare, he served as Group CHRO at Malabar Group, overseeing HR in India and the UAE. At Aster, he’ll lead people strategy for teams across the Middle East, India, and the Far East, supporting over 800 medical establishments across seven countries. Jacob has also held key HR roles at Columbia Asia Healthcare, Apollo Hospitals, and Oberoi Realty.

Dr Ramy Mohamed

Egypt’s leading retail group, Abdullah Saad Group welcomed Dr. Ramy Mohamed as the Chief Human Resources Officer. Dr. Ramy has over 17 years of HR experience in Egypt’s FMCG sector. Since joining ASG in 2021 as HR Director, he has led the group’s HR initiatives. Previously, he worked with Frosty Foods as HR Manager and spent over 13 years at Coca-Cola Egypt in key HR roles.

Nilgün Atıcı

Turkey’s leading F&B company, Ajinomoto Group welcomed Nilgün Atıcı as the Chief Human Resources Officer. She brings nearly 30 years of HR leadership in Turkey’s manufacturing, insurance, and consulting sectors. Most recently, she spent 11 years as HR Director at GRUNDFOS, covering Turkey, Africa, the Middle East, and India, where she drove strategic HR, leadership development, and culture-building. Previously, she held key roles at Pilentum HR Consultancy, Fortis Pension & Life, and Toyota, where she helped transform cultures and build high-performing teams. 

Khalid Al-Omoor 

Arabian Machinery & Heavy Equipment Company welcomed Khalid Al-Omoor as the Head of Human Resources. He brings over 20 years of HR leadership across top sectors in Saudi Arabia. Before this role, he was Group HR Director at Al Othman Holding, with prior experience at ATCO Group, RAR Al Rashed & Sons, and Saipem Taqa. Early in his career, he held roles at KMC Holdings, Kaar Technologies, and others. Passionate about delivering “high-quality, sustainable results,” Khalid focuses on driving savings, boosting profits, and making a positive impact.

Fahad Rashad

Saudi Arabia’s leading automotive firm, Wallan Trading Company named Fahad Rashad as the CHRO. He brings over 15 years of HR expertise from leading sectors in Saudi Arabia. He joined Wallan Trading Co. in 2023, and led strategic HR planning and culture initiatives. In this new role, he’ll oversee business strategy and people management. In his previous roles, he worked with Misk Foundation, guiding cross-functional teams to meet organisational goals. His career also includes roles as HR Operations Director at the National Center for Privatisation & PPP, HR Operations Manager at Diaverum, and Personnel Manager at Eli Lilly. He started out with roles at Novartis, Zain KSA, and Bank Albilad.

Khalid AlBattal 

The Saudi Credit Bureau (SIMAH) welcomed Khalid AlBattal as its new Chief Human Capital & CS Officer. With around 15 years of diverse HR experience in staffing, aviation, and government sectors, Khalid is set to make a significant impact. Most recently, he served as VP of HR Operations at Mobily and previously held the position of CHRO at ALTANFEETHI. His impressive background includes roles like General Manager of HR at Monshaat Saudi Arabia and Director of Talent Management and HR Operations at Holoola Aloula. With expertise in human capital management, change management, and strategic HR, he’s passionate about driving culture change, enhancing employee relations, and fostering leadership development.

Fahad Mohamed Abdulla Danish

Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) welcomed Fahad Mohamed Abdulla Danish as its new Chief Human Resources Officer. Fahad is set to lead Alba’s HR strategy, focusing on talent management from workforce planning to recruitment and compensation. With over 15 years of experience in the Middle East, he joins the company from BatelCo, where he held key roles such as Director of Talent for Engineering and Services and Director of Talent Management and Compensation. His background also includes positions at KPMG and Ernst & Young. Alba’s CEO remarked, “Fahad’s deep HR expertise and passion for talent development align perfectly with our goals. We’re confident that under his leadership, we’ll attract and nurture top talent, keeping Alba at the forefront of the aluminium industry.”