A Strategic Vision Geared Toward Developing & Operating Fast Growing Competitive Ports

Jay New joined Ports Development Company in April 2021 as a Chief Executive Officer. As PDC’s Chief Executive Officer, Jay is responsible for accelerating King Abdullah Port’s growth and strengthening its role as the leading regional logistics hub, and enhancing its contributions to the national economy, in line with the Vision 2030 objectives.

Mr. New is a seasoned professional with over 20 years’ of experience in the ports, shipping and logistics environment, having served in many leading positions at Director and “C” level with  Hutchison Ports, Maersk Line, and Gulftainer. .

Mr. New holds a B.Ed. from the University of Leeds and is an ADP graduate in Business from the London Business School.

Assem Ashary joined Ports Development Company in 2013, bringing with him 30 years of experience in shipping industry and ports marine operations. He is responsible for the provision of a safe high quality marine services to vessels visiting King Abdullah Port.

Prior Joining PDC, Captain Assem served as the Executive Director for Abdurrahman Atturki Company ATCO (the marine services provider in Jeddah Islamic Port), as a ship’s Captain then as a Marine Superintendent for Vela International Marine in Dubai – UAE, as a deck officer and then as a Port Captain for Bahri, and as a Sea Pilot for Jeddah Islamic Port.

Captain Assem holds an Over Seas Master Certificate.

Maurice Mckeating joined Ports Development Company (PDC) as Chief Commercial Officer in 2022. He has over 25 years of international experience in Shipping, Logistics and Marine Services.

Maurice is responsible for the commercial strategy and the development of PDC.

Maurice spent the majority of his career with global container shipping line APL including Managing Director and Regional Director roles in Singapore, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Philippines before eventually returning to the UK as Managing Director UK and Ireland.

Later he moved into marine services as UK Managing Director for Maersk subsidiary Svitzer.

Maurice holds a BSc (Hons) in Business Studies from the University of Buckingham

Imtiaz Shah joined Ports Development Company in 2013 to lead the successful delivery of master planning and design of King Abdullah Port which is currently handling container and bulk cargos and shall handle RORO in future. He is currently Chief Engineering Officer for King Abdullah Port. In his role, he is responsible for overseeing the strategic integrated approach of maintaining, improving and adapting facilities and supporting infrastructure to create environments that strongly support King Abdullah Port’s primary business objectives.

Before joining PDC, Eng. Shah spent three years (April 2010 till April 2013) with Jazan Economic City for the delivery of major infrastructure projects in JEC. It was a USD 30 bn mega project and involved diversified projects like heavy industries, secondary industries, residential and commercial units, port, power plant etc.

Shah is a highly driven Development and Infrastructure professional with proven technical and management experience of delivering mega-scale high value infrastructure and development projects covering Port Master Planning, Logistics zones, business service zones, expressways, roads, utilities, marine works, etc. He has an extensive experience working on some prestigious projects in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which include Hajj related projects as well.

Eng. Shah holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Srinagar (University of Kashmir, India). He is a member of Saudi Council of Engineers.

Kholoud joined Ports Development Company in January 2025 as Chief Human Resources Officer, bringing with her over 15 years of HR leadership experience across both government and private sectors. In her role, she leads the company’s people strategy—driving alignment between talent, performance, and business objectives to support sustainable growth and organizational success.

Kholoud is recognized for her ability to build inclusive, high-performing cultures and for her deep expertise in leadership development, employee engagement, and strategic workforce planning. She is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that values innovation, agility, and employee well-being.

She holds a Master of Business Administration from The University of Newcastle, Australia, and is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (MCIPD). She is also certified by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), reflecting her expertise in global HR practices.

Ahmed initially joined Ports Development Company in September 2014 as the Head of Internal Audit and has since risen to his current executive position, a testament to his expertise and leadership.

Mr. Ahmed is responsible for leading the Internal Audit function and providing direct support to the Audit Committee and the Board of Directors. His mandate is to maintain the highest standards of governance and risk management across the entire company.

Mr. Ahmed has over 20 years of distinguished experience in the accounting and auditing profession, having spent a decade with three of the world’s “Big Four” audit firms (Deloitte, PwC, and KPMG) where he advanced to the position of Audit Manager.

He is proactively committed to enhancing PDC’s internal control environment and driving strategic assurance that is instrumental in supporting sustained organizational growth and the protection of stakeholder value.

Mr. Ahmed holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business administration with accounting emphasis from Helwan University, Egypt.

Ammar Aljefri is an accomplished strategist with extensive expertise in business development, supply chain management, customer experience, product management, and digital transformation. As Chief Strategy Officer at King Abdullah Port, he leads strategic business development, government integration initiatives, and key partnerships, driving the port’s role as a leading global logistics hub.

With over 20 years of experience across logistics, transport, technology, and economic development, Ammar has held senior leadership roles in both public and private sectors. Prior to his current role, he served as Director of Business Development at Tabadul, where he spearheaded organizational growth strategies, digitalization initiatives, and the creation of new revenue streams. He also played a pivotal role as Advisor to the Special Integrated Logistics Zone at King Khalid International Airport and as an Advisor for the Transport & Logistics Sector in Ministry of Investment, contributing to the launch of Saudi Arabia’s first special economic zone.

Throughout his career, Ammar has led transformational projects, including automation of port operations, multimodal cross-border shipping, and digital investor journeys. His achievements include delivering significant cost optimizations, establishing innovative logistics frameworks, and designing disruptive supply chain solutions.

Ammar holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from King Faisal University and is certified in Supply Chain Management, Customer Experience, Product Management, Project Management, and Pricing. Fluent in both Arabic and English, he brings a global outlook with a strong commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and building strategic partnerships that shape the future of trade and logistics.