RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority, also known as Monsha’at, has announced Sami bin Ibrahim Al-Husseini as its new governor, according to the Saudi Press Agency. With an advanced diploma in leadership from the Swiss-based Institute for Management Development, a bachelor’s degree in public relations from King Saud University, and multiple specialized and leadership certificates, Al-Husseini has worked in several leadership positions in both the private and public sectors. Prior to this new role, between 2019 and 2022, Al-Husseini held the position of deputy governor for Planning and Developments in Monsha’at. Between 2018 and 2019, Al-Hussein was CEO of Riyadh Airports Co., having served as executive vice president of the firm’s commercial sector between 2017 and 2018. He took up his role at Monsha’at in August, although it has only just been publicly confirmed. Monsha’at is keen on upgrading and further elevating the Kingdom’s SMEs, with the sector set to play a significant role in achieving Saudi Arabia’s objectives of lowering the unemployment rate from 11.6 percent to 7 percent, increasing women’s participation in the workforce from 22 percent to 30 percent, and expanding SME contribution to 35 percent of gross domestic product by 2030. Monsha’at’s objectives also fall in line with the Saudi vision to create suitable job opportunities for its citizens by supporting SME entrepreneurship, privatization, and investments in new industries.