U.S.-Saudi Business Council Announces New CEO

The U.S.-Saudi Business Council (the “Council”), a bilateral not-for-profit organization with offices in the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Charles Hallab as President and Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Hallab is a long-standing member of the Board of Directors of the Council and the founder of Barrington Global, an international legal and strategic advisory firm focused on the intersection of law, business, and policy between the Middle East and the West.

Mr. Hallab previously served as Chair of the Middle East Practice at the global law firm of Mayer Brown and in multiple leadership roles both at Mayer Brown and at the international law firm of Baker McKenzie.

For more than 30 years, the Council has been at the forefront of the strategic business relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States and has served to provide crucial insights, to create unique opportunities and to shape enduring alliances between the two countries.

Steve Demetriou, Executive Chair of Jacobs and U.S. Co-Chairman of the Council, commented: “After a long and thoughtful search, we are pleased to welcome Charles to the helm of this vital organization, especially at such a pivotal time in the history of the Saudi-U.S. business relationship.”

Abdallah Jum’ah, Chairman of The Saudi Investment Bank (SAIB), former President and Chief Executive Officer of Saudi Aramco and Saudi Arabian Co-Chairman of the Council, added: “It is a pleasure to have someone of such distinction and such dedication to the Council’s mission serving in this critical role. Charles knows both the Council and Saudi Arabia extremely well, and I am confident that together with our talented team he will succeed in expanding on the Council’s remarkable legacy.”