Where policy meets practice.

Awtada is a Saudi advisory firm helping institutions and companies translate policy, programs, and sector priorities into practical outcomes.

— About Us

Named after the roots that extend deep into mountains, Awtada builds work that is grounded, local, and lasting.

Founded in Jeddah in 2020, we specialize in public policy formulation and community program development, with a sharp focus on emerging sectors within Saudi Arabia. Our work is led by local experts who combine rigorous qualitative and quantitative research with direct stakeholder engagement — ensuring our programs do not just get designed, but delivered.

Red Sea coastline with shallow turquoise water

— Services

Five service lines across public-sector transformation and private-sector advisory.

Our work is organized around two practices: public-sector services that translate policy into implementation, and private-sector services that help companies navigate the policy landscape with clarity, compliance, and credibility.

Saudi Red Sea region desert and blue sky landscape

Public and Social Sectors Services

Saudi Arabia’s development ambitions demand more than off-the-shelf frameworks and generic playbooks. We design the policies, strategies, and programs that translate national vision into ground-level change — shaped by local knowledge, tested against real data, and engineered for execution.

Policy Design & Evaluation

We design public policies that reflect the realities of the communities they serve. Working in close collaboration with stakeholders across all stages, we combine qualitative and quantitative analysis with lessons drawn from local and international practice — always accounting for cultural and organizational nuance.

Development Strategies

We help organizations and sectors build strategies that are both ambitious and actionable. Rooted in local context and sectoral opportunity, our strategies are shaped through meaningful engagement with government, private sector, and community stakeholders.

Community Programs

We design and implement community programs built around actual needs — identified directly with the people they are meant to serve. Our approach is end-to-end: from context analysis and initiative design through implementation and evaluation.

Public and Social Sector Clients

Private Sector Services

We support private sector companies — local and international — in navigating Saudi Arabia’s regulatory landscape, meeting compliance requirements, and building credibility with investors and stakeholders.

Market Entry & Policy Navigation

Foreign companies need more than a market entry checklist; they need a partner who understands how the system works. Drawing on deep expertise in Saudi public policy and established local relationships, we guide international firms through every stage of entry — from regulatory mapping and stakeholder engagement to local content compliance and ongoing policy monitoring.

Governance & Compliance Advisory

Saudi Arabia’s listed companies face growing regulatory expectations and increasingly discerning investors. Annual and board reports must meet CMA requirements while telling a clear, credible story about governance, performance, and sustainability commitments. We manage the full reporting process — from content development and sustainability integration to bilingual production and final delivery — ensuring every report is rigorous, compliant, and built to strengthen stakeholder trust.

Private Sector Clients

— Executive Leadership

Led by practitioners who understand policy, people, and implementation.

Our leadership combines public-sector expertise, stakeholder engagement, and program delivery experience across Saudi Arabia’s emerging sectors.

Lama Khaiyat

Founder and CEO

Lama is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Awtada. With deep experience in socioeconomic development and management consulting, she is a trusted advisor to government entities, financial institutions, and corporations navigating the intersection of markets, society, and public systems.

Lama holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Oxford, where she is frequently invited to speak as a thought leader on complex public frameworks and localized development policy. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in International Business specialized in Finance from Grenoble Ecole de Management.

Sara AlBassam

Co-Founder

Sara is a Co-Founder at Awtada. With deep experience in management consulting, she specializes in institutional growth, large-scale commercial advisory, and public infrastructure design. Prior to co-founding Awtada, she spent several years leading infrastructure and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) advisory initiatives at EY, bringing a rigorous commercial lens and deep market insight to major economic transformation across the region.

Sara holds an MBA from the Prince Mohammed Bin Salman College of Business & Entrepreneurship (MBSC) and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Business and Technology in Jeddah.

Mohammed AlHamli

Head of Project Portfolio

Mohammed is the Head of Project Portfolio at Awtada. With more than a decade of experience across operational excellence, business development, and project delivery, he guides complex initiatives from early planning through seamless operational execution.

Prior to joining Awtada, Mohammed built his expertise in commercial strategy and corporate growth, serving as Sales Lead at United Carton Industries, where he supported business expansion and high-performing sales frameworks.

Mohammed holds an MBA from the Prince Mohammed Bin Salman College of Business & Entrepreneurship and is a PMP-certified expert. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from King Abdulaziz University.

“Everyone wants better data. Fewer people ask whether they’re looking at the right system. That question is harder, less comfortable, and far more valuable — and it is the question we bring to every client we work with.”

Lama Khaiyat, Founder & CEO

— Insights & Publications

Insights on policy, emerging sectors, and Saudi Arabia’s evolving economy.

We write about the policy questions shaping Saudi Arabia’s next phase of development — with a particular focus on emerging sectors, institutional transformation, public programs, and the practical realities of implementation.

LinkedIn first

Awtada’s latest insights and publications are currently posted on the company’s LinkedIn page.

A dedicated publications area will soon be available here on the website.