Meet our Judges
Nawaf AlGain
ADM - Regional Dev. & Infrastructure at Ministry of Economy & Planning (KSA)
Nawaf AlGain is a visionary C-level innovation and entrepreneurship leader with over a decade of experience building and scaling deep-tech ecosystems across Saudi Arabia. As the former Director of the Innovation Ecosystem at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), he architected end-to-end commercialization strategies that launched over 400 startups, attracted 100+ tech companies, and mobilized over SAR 500M in venture capital through strategic partnerships with global VCs and sovereign investors. He led and redesigned KAUST’s Innovation Fund, structuring its governance, sector prioritization, and co-investment frameworks to transform deep-science outputs into investable ventures.
Abdulaziz Alkhoori
Group Executive Director of Strategy & Transformation at Miral
Abdulaziz Alkhoori is a seasoned strategy and transformation leader with more than 17 years of experience across entertainment, tourism, real estate development, asset management, financial services regulation, and corporate innovation. His multidisciplinary expertise spans group and corporate strategy, business planning, future foresight, enterprise performance, risk management, sustainability, and large-scale business transformation. Throughout his career, Abdulaziz has contributed to high-impact initiatives across globally recognized institutions, including international financial centers, publicly listed conglomerates, and major state-owned enterprises. His work has supported the development of globally competitive financial sectors, the turnaround of multi-billion-dirham organizations, and the continued growth of one of the region’s leading leisure and tourism groups.
Abdullah AlKhaldi
Chief Investment Officer at aramco Digital and the Cultural Development Fund
Abdullah Alkhaldi is a seasoned investment executive with a distinguished track record across venture capital and institutional finance. He has served as a partner at a regionally prominent VC firm and held Chief Investment Officer roles in multi-million-dollar corporations and funds, where he led strategic capital deployment and portfolio growth. Beyond his institutional roles, Abdullah brings over two decades of entrepreneurial grit and angel investing experience in the technology sector. He actively mentors startups and growth-stage companies, offering deep expertise in business strategy, operational modeling, and technology assessment.
Ali Akram Sheikh
Family Office Professional at GM at Malco Capital Investments
Abdullah Alkhaldi is a seasoned investment executive with a distinguished track record across venture capital and institutional finance. He has served as a partner at a regionally prominent VC firm and held Chief Investment Officer roles in multi-million-dollar corporations and funds, where he led strategic capital deployment and portfolio growth. Beyond his institutional roles, Abdullah brings over two decades of entrepreneurial grit and angel investing experience in the technology sector. He actively mentors startups and growth-stage companies, offering deep expertise in business strategy, operational modeling, and technology assessment. His career spans both startup ecosystems and large corporates, where he has consistently driven measurable impact. Today, he dedicates much of his time to empowering the next generation of founders and innovators.
FAQ
01
What is The Apex Award?
02
Who can be nominated?
03
Who can submit a nomination?
04
How are winners selected?
05
Are there different award categories?
06
Can a nominee be considered for multiple awards?
07
Is there a cost to participate?
08
Where and when will the winners be announced?
Meet our Judges
Nawaf AlGain
ADM - Regional Dev. & Infrastructure at Ministry of Economy & Planning (KSA)
Nawaf AlGain is a visionary C-level innovation and entrepreneurship leader with over a decade of experience building and scaling deep-tech ecosystems across Saudi Arabia. As the former Director of the Innovation Ecosystem at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), he architected end-to-end commercialization strategies that launched over 400 startups, attracted 100+ tech companies, and mobilized over SAR 500M in venture capital through strategic partnerships with global VCs and sovereign investors. He led and redesigned KAUST’s Innovation Fund, structuring its governance, sector prioritization, and co-investment frameworks to transform deep-science outputs into investable ventures.
Abdulaziz Alkhoori
Group Executive Director of Strategy & Transformation at Miral
Abdulaziz Alkhoori is a seasoned strategy and transformation leader with more than 17 years of experience across entertainment, tourism, real estate development, asset management, financial services regulation, and corporate innovation. His multidisciplinary expertise spans group and corporate strategy, business planning, future foresight, enterprise performance, risk management, sustainability, and large-scale business transformation. Throughout his career, Abdulaziz has contributed to high-impact initiatives across globally recognized institutions, including international financial centers, publicly listed conglomerates, and major state-owned enterprises. His work has supported the development of globally competitive financial sectors, the turnaround of multi-billion-dirham organizations, and the continued growth of one of the region’s leading leisure and tourism groups.
Abdullah AlKhaldi
Chief Investment Officer at aramco Digital and the Cultural Development Fund
Abdullah Alkhaldi is a seasoned investment executive with a distinguished track record across venture capital and institutional finance. He has served as a partner at a regionally prominent VC firm and held Chief Investment Officer roles in multi-million-dollar corporations and funds, where he led strategic capital deployment and portfolio growth. Beyond his institutional roles, Abdullah brings over two decades of entrepreneurial grit and angel investing experience in the technology sector. He actively mentors startups and growth-stage companies, offering deep expertise in business strategy, operational modeling, and technology assessment.
Ali Akram Sheikh
Family Office Professional at GM at Malco Capital Investments
Abdullah Alkhaldi is a seasoned investment executive with a distinguished track record across venture capital and institutional finance. He has served as a partner at a regionally prominent VC firm and held Chief Investment Officer roles in multi-million-dollar corporations and funds, where he led strategic capital deployment and portfolio growth. Beyond his institutional roles, Abdullah brings over two decades of entrepreneurial grit and angel investing experience in the technology sector. He actively mentors startups and growth-stage companies, offering deep expertise in business strategy, operational modeling, and technology assessment. His career spans both startup ecosystems and large corporates, where he has consistently driven measurable impact. Today, he dedicates much of his time to empowering the next generation of founders and innovators.
FAQ
What is The Apex Award?
Who can be nominated?
Who can submit a nomination?
How are winners selected?
Are there different award categories?
Can a nominee be considered for multiple awards?
Is there a cost to participate?
Where and when will the winners be announced?
Meet our Judges
Nawaf AlGain
ADM - Regional Dev. & Infrastructure at Ministry of Economy & Planning (KSA)
Nawaf AlGain is a visionary C-level innovation and entrepreneurship leader with over a decade of experience building and scaling deep-tech ecosystems across Saudi Arabia. As the former Director of the Innovation Ecosystem at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), he architected end-to-end commercialization strategies that launched over 400 startups, attracted 100+ tech companies, and mobilized over SAR 500M in venture capital through strategic partnerships with global VCs and sovereign investors. He led and redesigned KAUST’s Innovation Fund, structuring its governance, sector prioritization, and co-investment frameworks to transform deep-science outputs into investable ventures.
Abdulaziz Alkhoori
Group Executive Director of Strategy & Transformation at Miral
Abdulaziz Alkhoori is a seasoned strategy and transformation leader with more than 17 years of experience across entertainment, tourism, real estate development, asset management, financial services regulation, and corporate innovation. His multidisciplinary expertise spans group and corporate strategy, business planning, future foresight, enterprise performance, risk management, sustainability, and large-scale business transformation. Throughout his career, Abdulaziz has contributed to high-impact initiatives across globally recognized institutions, including international financial centers, publicly listed conglomerates, and major state-owned enterprises. His work has supported the development of globally competitive financial sectors, the turnaround of multi-billion-dirham organizations, and the continued growth of one of the region’s leading leisure and tourism groups.
Abdullah AlKhaldi
Chief Investment Officer at aramco Digital and the Cultural Development Fund
Abdullah Alkhaldi is a seasoned investment executive with a distinguished track record across venture capital and institutional finance. He has served as a partner at a regionally prominent VC firm and held Chief Investment Officer roles in multi-million-dollar corporations and funds, where he led strategic capital deployment and portfolio growth. Beyond his institutional roles, Abdullah brings over two decades of entrepreneurial grit and angel investing experience in the technology sector. He actively mentors startups and growth-stage companies, offering deep expertise in business strategy, operational modeling, and technology assessment.
Ali Akram Sheikh
Family Office Professional at GM at Malco Capital Investments
Abdullah Alkhaldi is a seasoned investment executive with a distinguished track record across venture capital and institutional finance. He has served as a partner at a regionally prominent VC firm and held Chief Investment Officer roles in multi-million-dollar corporations and funds, where he led strategic capital deployment and portfolio growth. Beyond his institutional roles, Abdullah brings over two decades of entrepreneurial grit and angel investing experience in the technology sector. He actively mentors startups and growth-stage companies, offering deep expertise in business strategy, operational modeling, and technology assessment. His career spans both startup ecosystems and large corporates, where he has consistently driven measurable impact. Today, he dedicates much of his time to empowering the next generation of founders and innovators.
FAQ
01
What is The Apex Award?
02
Who can be nominated?
03
Who can submit a nomination?
04
How are winners selected?
05
Are there different award categories?
06
Can a nominee be considered for multiple awards?
07
Is there a cost to participate?
08
Where and when will the winners be announced?