Tawfiq Al Rabiah

Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al Rabiah
Minister of Commerce and Industry
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 December 2011
Prime Minister	King Abdullah
Preceded by	Abdullah Zainel Alireza
Personal details
Alma mater	King Saud University The University of Pittsburgh

Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al Rabiah is Saudi minister of commerce and industry.

Education

Al Rabiah obtained a bachelor's degree in financial management and mathematics from King Saud University.^[1] Then he received two master of science degrees in computer science and in information science again from King Saud University.^[2] He holds a PhD in computer science at the University of Pittsburgh.^[1]

Career

Al Rabiah began to work as a teaching fellow at the University of Pittsburgh. Then he worked as a faculty member at King Saud University. He served as the director general of the Information and Communications Technology sector at the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA).^[1] In April 2007, he was appointed the Director General of the Saudi Industrial Property Authority (MODON).^[2] His term lasted until January 2012.^[1] He also served as an acting deputy commerce and industry minister and a supervisor for the National Industrial Strategy Institution from April 2010 to January 2012.^[1] On 13 December 2011, he was appointed the minister of commerce and industry to the Saudi cabinet, replacing Abdullah Zainel Alireza who had been in office since 2008.^{[3][4][5][6][7][8]} Al Rabiah is also the chairman of the Board of the Directors of Saudi Arabian Standards Organization (SASO), of Commission for Development of Industrial Cities and Technical Zones and of MODON.^[1][9]

Hussein Shobokshi argued that Al Rabiah was successful in implementing the concept of “industrial estates and technology zones”, since he actively involved in establishing such zones in different Saudi cities.^[10]

References

1. "H.E. Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah". Jeddah Economic Forum. 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
2. "2010 US-Saudi Opportunities Forum". US-Saudi Business Forum. 2011. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
3. "New commerce minister honors Alireza". Islam Online. 29 December 2011. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
4. "New Saudi Minister of Commerce and Industry HE Tawfiq al-Rabiah Active in New Role". Saudi-US Trade Group. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
5. "King Abdullah Appoints New Ministers". US-Saudi Arabian Business Council. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
6. "King appoints new ministers". Arab News. 14 December 2011. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
7. "Biographies of Ministers". Saudi Embassy Washington DC. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
8. "Saudi King makes minor cabinet reshuffle; no major shift in financial policy seen". Al Arabiya. 14 December 2011. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
9. Tawalbeh, Khalid (9 May 2012). "Al-Rabiah urges factories to employ modern technology, boost Saudization". Arab News (Dammam). Retrieved 30 August 2012.
10. Shobokshi, Hussein (1 January 2012). "Saudi Arabia: New ministers and budget". Al Arabiya. Retrieved 30 August 2012.