World Economic Forum Selects Two Saudi Leaders for 2026 Young Global Leaders Class
Geneva, Switzerland — The World Economic Forum (WEF) has unveiled its 2026 class of Young Global Leaders (YGL), comprising 118 individuals under the age of 40 from 54 countries. This diverse cohort spans various sectors, including public service, innovation, research, civil society, entrepreneurship, and culture.
Notable Saudi Representation
Among the distinguished leaders selected this year are two prominent Saudi executives: Khaled Ahmed Sharbatly, CEO of Desert Technologies and Chairman of the National Entrepreneurship Committee at the Federation of Saudi Chambers, and Yazeed Almubarak, Head of BlackRock Middle East and CEO of BlackRock Saudi Arabia. Their inclusion highlights the growing influence of Saudi talent on the global stage.
Sharbatly’s selection is a testament to his significant contributions to Saudi Arabia’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. He has played a pivotal role in fostering innovation and empowering startups, particularly in the renewable energy and smart infrastructure sectors across the Middle East and North Africa.
Khaled Sharbatly: A Leader in Innovation
Khaled Sharbatly was chosen from thousands of nominees to join the Young Global Leaders community, recognized as one of the most competitive leadership platforms. He is an active entrepreneur and investor, having founded and co-founded several startups, including “Six Days Maintenance & Cleaning” and “Shared Codes for Energy,” which specializes in solar energy solutions.
Sharbatly’s career has been marked by various leadership roles. He began at Nahla Group and became an executive partner at Desert Technologies in 2018 after the acquisition of his company, Shared Codes for Energy. He later advanced to Chief Investment Officer and was appointed Group CEO in 2023. Sharbatly holds a master’s degree in international business and finance from the University of Miami, along with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the same institution.
Yazeed Almubarak: A Financial Executive
Yazeed Almubarak’s inclusion in the YGL cohort underscores his status as a leading financial executive in the region. He currently oversees BlackRock’s operations in the Middle East and serves as CEO of BlackRock Saudi Arabia, where he is responsible for the company’s growth strategies and expansion initiatives.
Almubarak brings a wealth of experience in finance and investment. He serves on the Board of Directors for both BlackRock Saudi Arabia and Saudi Aramco’s Gas Pipeline Company. Previously, he was a member of the Capital Market Institutions Committee under the Capital Market Authority from 2020 to 2022, representing the investment management sector.
Before joining BlackRock, Almubarak was Vice President at Jadwa Investment, focusing on private equity transactions in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. His career also includes significant roles at Morgan Stanley in New York, London, and Dubai, where he specialized in mergers and acquisitions and capital markets transactions within the investment banking division. Almubarak holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and an MBA from Stanford University.
The Young Global Leaders Program
Both Sharbatly and Almubarak are set to engage in the three-year Young Global Leaders program, which offers advanced leadership training, knowledge exchange, and collaboration opportunities with global leaders. This initiative aims to cultivate innovative solutions to pressing global challenges and foster positive impacts across various sectors.
Ida Jeng Christensen, Head of the Forum of Young Global Leaders, remarked on the significance of this cohort, stating that effective leaders today blend vision with responsibility and innovation with service. She emphasized that the Class of 2026 represents a remarkable generation poised to redefine leadership across government, business, academia, civil society, and culture.
Implications for Saudi Arabia
The inclusion of Sharbatly and Almubarak in the 2026 Young Global Leaders cohort reflects a broader global trend of empowering young leaders capable of driving sustainable impact. This growing Saudi presence underscores the rising global stature of Saudi talent, emphasizing their role in leading innovation and shaping the future of key economic sectors. It also reinforces the Kingdom’s influence on major international platforms.
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Published on 2026-04-18 14:18:00 • By the Editorial Desk
