Fawaz Al-Fraiji: Connecting Real Estate, Investment and Technology to Build Long-Term Value

The next phase of Saudi Arabia’s economic development is creating opportunities for businesses that can connect investment capital with technology, real estate and operational expertise.

For Fawaz Al-Fraiji, these connections have shaped a career spanning corporate leadership, digital transformation, financial technology, entrepreneurship and real estate development.

Today, Al-Fraiji serves as Executive Managing Director and Board Member at SARCC, alongside his role as Senior Advisor at the Public Investment Fund (PIF). His professional focus brings together real estate investment, development, workforce living and operating platforms aligned with Saudi Arabia’s long-term economic ambitions.

His career reflects an approach to leadership built around identifying opportunities across industries and developing the organisational capabilities required to turn them into sustainable businesses.

Bringing Technology Into Business Leadership

Al-Fraiji’s professional foundation was established in technology and business systems.

He holds a degree in Computer Information Systems from King Saud University, followed by an MBA in Strategy and Marketing from California State University, Fullerton.

His early professional journey took him through consulting, entrepreneurship and technology leadership, including experience in the United States, Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates.

At Microsoft, he worked as a Sales Manager in Istanbul before joining Oracle as a Regional Manager in Dubai.

These positions provided experience within international technology organisations, where commercial strategy, customer relationships and technology adoption are closely connected.

He subsequently became Head of MENA at JRD Group, expanding his responsibilities across regional business development and technology-enabled services.

This background established a perspective that would become increasingly relevant as his career moved towards financial services and real estate.

Technology creates commercial value when it is connected to a clear business model, capable leadership and effective execution.

From Digital Banking to Financial Innovation

A significant development in Al-Fraiji’s career came through his move into financial services.

In 2019, he joined Gulf International Bank in Bahrain as Head of Digital Banking, taking responsibility within a sector undergoing substantial technological change.

The position brought together his experience in technology and business strategy with the operational requirements of banking.

He subsequently joined Quara Holding, where his responsibilities included serving as CEO of Quara Pay and Vice Chairman of Quara Finance.

These positions placed him within two areas of financial innovation: digital payments and digital lending.

Both require businesses to combine technology with financial infrastructure, regulatory considerations and customer expectations.

His experience across these organisations strengthened his exposure to the commercial and operational challenges involved in developing technology-enabled financial services.

It also demonstrated how digital transformation can extend beyond introducing new platforms towards creating different ways for businesses to deliver services and engage customers.

Developing Real Estate Through Digital Platforms

Al-Fraiji’s career subsequently moved towards real estate, bringing his experience in technology and finance into a sector central to Saudi Arabia’s development ambitions.

He served as CEO of Wasalt.com, a property technology platform, between 2020 and 2021.

This role connected his understanding of digital business models with the opportunities emerging from technology-enabled property services.

He later became CEO and Board Advisor at Dar Al Arkan Properties, serving from 2021 to 2023.

The transition represented a broadening of his executive responsibilities, from digital platforms and financial services towards real estate investment, development and corporate leadership.

Real estate requires a different investment perspective from many technology businesses. Projects often involve substantial capital commitments, longer development periods and complex relationships between financing, construction, operations and market demand.

Al-Fraiji’s experience across these sectors provided a foundation for approaching real estate through both conventional development principles and emerging technology-enabled business models.

The long-term value of real estate depends on more than development activity. It requires investment discipline, market understanding and the ability to create sustainable operating models.

Leadership Within the Public Investment Fund Ecosystem

In 2023, Al-Fraiji took on the position of CEO of a real estate company within the Public Investment Fund ecosystem.

He held the role until June 2025, before transitioning into an advisory position focused on real estate.

In December 2025, he became Senior Advisor within PIF’s Local Real Estate Investment Division (LREID).

These responsibilities reflect his increasing involvement in the investment and development activities associated with Saudi Arabia’s real estate sector.

His professional interests include workforce living, real estate operating platforms and investment opportunities that combine capital deployment with long-term operational sustainability.

Such areas are particularly relevant within an economy experiencing substantial investment in infrastructure, development and new business activity.

For Al-Fraiji, the connection between investment and execution remains central.

Capital can enable development, but the long-term success of a business or real estate platform also depends on governance, operating structures and the ability to respond to market requirements.

A New Chapter at SARCC

In May 2026, Al-Fraiji became Executive Managing Director and Board Member at SARCC, marking another development in his executive career.

The appointment brings together his experience across corporate strategy, investment, technology and real estate.

His current professional focus centres on developing businesses and operating platforms capable of supporting growth within Saudi Arabia’s changing economic environment.

His responsibilities also reflect a broader progression from managing specific business functions towards combining executive leadership with board-level oversight.

That combination requires attention to both immediate operational priorities and the longer-term direction of an organisation.

Throughout his career, Al-Fraiji has worked across established corporations, emerging ventures and investment-backed businesses.

This variety has provided experience in different organisational environments, from technology companies seeking market growth to financial platforms and real estate businesses managing complex commercial requirements.

Supporting Entrepreneurship and Emerging Ventures

Alongside his executive responsibilities, Al-Fraiji has maintained an interest in entrepreneurship and investment.

He founded Bhive.com in Dubai in 2015 and previously participated in entrepreneurial activity in the San Francisco Bay Area.

His current professional interests include supporting and investing in emerging ventures across proptech, fintech and technology-enabled business models.

This involvement reflects a recurring connection throughout his career between established business structures and emerging commercial opportunities.

His experience also includes serving as General Manager at Monsha’at, Saudi Arabia’s Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority, between 2018 and 2019.

The position provided exposure to the institutional environment supporting entrepreneurship and SME development in the Kingdom.

Strong entrepreneurial ecosystems require more than innovative founders. They also depend on access to investment, experienced leadership and the structures that allow businesses to scale.

Developing a Global Executive Perspective

Al-Fraiji’s academic and professional development has accompanied his progression into senior executive and investment responsibilities.

In addition to his undergraduate degree and MBA, he has completed executive education through IMD Business School and undertaken the Advanced Management Development Programme in Real Estate at Harvard University.

His professional qualifications also include the 2030 Leaders Programme, board director readiness training and education focused on venture capital, financial technology and innovation ecosystems.

These experiences complement a career spanning technology, finance, entrepreneurship and real estate.

They also reflect the increasing importance of multidisciplinary expertise in executive leadership, particularly where investment decisions involve complex business models and changing technologies.

Building Value Across Connected Industries

One of the defining characteristics of Al-Fraiji’s career is the movement between sectors that are becoming increasingly interconnected.

Technology provides the infrastructure for digital services. Financial platforms enable new commercial models. Real estate creates physical environments for businesses and communities. Investment brings together the capital and strategic direction required to develop these opportunities.

His professional journey has provided experience across each of these areas.

Rather than remaining within one specialist discipline, Al-Fraiji has developed a leadership perspective shaped by the relationships between them.

As Saudi Arabia continues to expand its investment and development activities, executives with experience across technology, finance and real estate bring a broader understanding of how businesses can be structured for long-term growth.

Recognition by The Arab CEOs

Fawaz Al-Fraiji’s career reflects the expanding role of multidisciplinary executive leadership in Saudi Arabia’s economic development.

From technology leadership at Microsoft and Oracle to digital banking, fintech, property technology and real estate investment, his professional journey has consistently connected innovation with business strategy.

His experience at Dar Al Arkan Properties, within the Public Investment Fund ecosystem, and his current responsibilities as Executive Managing Director and Board Member at SARCC demonstrate a progression towards broader investment and organisational leadership.

For The Arab CEOs, Al-Fraiji represents an executive whose contribution lies in connecting industries, identifying commercial opportunities and developing businesses where capital, technology and operational execution intersect.

His journey illustrates how leadership across multiple sectors can contribute to building the platforms, enterprises and investment structures supporting Saudi Arabia’s long-term economic ambitions.