THE MIDDLE EAST’S

32. Ismail Shehada

CEO
Company: Tabuk Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Company
Nationality: Dominican
Residence: Saudi Arabia
Category: Pharmaceuticals

Shehada was appointed CEO in August 2023. The company employs 2,400 people across four manufacturing sites in Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Algeria, operating in 20 countries in MEA region. In May 2025, Tabuk has expanded its licensing agreement with HK inno.N to distribute the GERD treatment K-CAB (tegoprazan) in six additional MENA countries. In April, 2025, Tabuk signed a licensing agreement with U.S.-based Polaris Pharmaceuticals to register, import, and promote ADI-PEG20, an arginine degradation platform for hard-to-treat cancers, in Saudi Arabia and the GCC. Shehada previously worked at GSK and AstraZeneca.