CITEEL Launches Gulf Expansion with Advisory Board and Local Entities

CITEEL is pleased to announce the next chapter in our global expansion. What began with exploratory visits earlier this year has now evolved into concrete steps that establish our presence in key international markets. In the Gulf, we are laying down both the structures and leadership needed for long-term success, ensuring that our strategy is grounded not only in investment opportunities but also in direct revenue generation. This update shares the foundations we have built, the people who will guide our efforts, and the direction we are taking as we move forward with confidence.

Establishing a Regional Presence

CITEEL is entering the next stage of its global expansion by establishing dedicated legal entities in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, supported by the formation of a GCC Advisory Board that will provide both strategic oversight and operational leadership for the region. This step builds directly on our June–July 2025 international tour through Riyadh, Jeddah, and Bahrain, as well as our high-level meetings in Shanghai and the United States, which together confirmed the Gulf as a central pillar of our long-term growth strategy. That trip marked the beginning of structured engagement with governments, sovereign wealth funds, and infrastructure partners, and it laid the foundation for the progress we are now turning into concrete regional operations.

New Entities in Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia

The first stage of this expansion involves setting up CITEEL ADGM in Abu Dhabi Global Market, which will serve as our operational and partnership hub for the Emirates, and CITEEL KSA in Saudi Arabia, which will focus on managing national projects, investor engagement, and regional partnerships. These entities will primarily act as negotiation and representation offices, ensuring alignment with local regulatory requirements and facilitating relationships, while all commercial contracts and business transactions will continue to flow through CITEEL’s main branch under full corporate control. Day-to-day management of the entities will be coordinated through the Advisory Board to ensure consistent governance and execution.

Importantly, this regional strategy is not limited to attracting investments but also to driving direct revenue growth. During our visit to Bahrain, we held preliminary meetings focused on potential contracts for the implementation of CITEEL’s cybersecurity system, and these discussions represent early opportunities to translate our presence into commercial outcomes. By combining investment-focused initiatives with revenue-generating activities, we are positioning CITEEL to establish both a strong financial base and long-term operational continuity in the Gulf.

The GCC Advisory Board

To support this expansion, CITEEL has established a GCC Advisory Board that will act as the central leadership body for all activities in the region. Its role is to set strategy, oversee the formation of local entities, and coordinate engagement with governments, investors, and private sector partners. By blending local expertise with CITEEL’s global governance and compliance framework, the Advisory Board ensures that our market entry is both regionally relevant and internationally aligned. At the same time, it will serve as a catalyst for growth, accelerating negotiations, strengthening partnerships, and creating a stable foundation for long-term operations in the Gulf.

Appointment of Hashim Nabulsi

Citeel has appointed Eng. Hashim Nabulsi as Chair of its Advisory Board and GCC Regional Board Director.

Mr. Nabulsi brings over two decades of experience across real estate development, smart cities, project finance, and venture capital. He has held senior leadership roles in major Saudi and Gulf projects, most recently as one of the founding members of the Neom Investment Fund in 2019, as well as Investment Director at Neom, and is a member of the Saudi 2030 Leaders Program. He also co-founded one of the region’s earliest startup accelerators with Wadi Makkah, helping spark the entrepreneurial movement in Makkah, and has led Cordoba Partners, his private investment boutique, since 2013.

Neom, launched under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy, is a 500-billion-dollar megaproject covering more than 26,000 square kilometers and designed as a hub for innovation, sustainability, and advanced industries. It incorporates smart cities, renewable energy projects, advanced industrial zones, and large-scale tourism developments. Widely regarded as a global reference point for ambitious infrastructure and urban planning, Neom has attracted international partnerships and positioned Saudi Arabia at the forefront of long-term, innovation-driven growth.

As a deal maker and strategic advisor, he has supported global companies entering Saudi Arabia and built joint ventures aligned with Vision 2030. Under his leadership, Citeel will align with regulatory frameworks set by SAMA, CST, SDAIA, and NCA, as Saudi Arabia positions itself as a global testbed for cybersecurity, data protection, and digital resilience. His track record in managing large-scale projects and navigating complex regulatory and investment landscapes makes him a strong anchor for our regional strategy and a key driver of our ability to align with Gulf development priorities while maintaining CITEEL’s global governance standards.

Strengthening the Leadership Team

Supporting Mr. Nabulsi on the Advisory Board is Mohamed Bin Ali, who brings extensive banking and asset management expertise, having overseen more than 2.5 billion dollars in assets for UHNWIs, sovereign wealth funds, and family offices. His execution skills and knowledge of both the UAE and Saudi markets will be central in translating strategic objectives into tangible outcomes as CITEEL establishes its regional presence. We expect to grow the Advisory Board in the following months with additional members already under consideration.

Citeel will be further strengthened by the support of Ahmed Mansoor and Salman Alarayedh, who join as advisors. They bring influential networks and proven track records in connecting public and private sector initiatives across the Gulf, complementing our GCC engagement while remaining independent of the formal advisory board.

Together, this leadership group combines strategic insight, financial acumen, and local relationships, giving CITEEL both the vision and execution capability required to accelerate entry into the Gulf and convert opportunities into measurable results.

Outlook

Through this combined structure of negotiation entities and regional leadership, CITEEL is laying the foundation for a sustained presence in the Gulf. Our current progress reflects a continuation of the international expansion phase that began with our summer 2025 tour and was reinforced by engagements in Asia and the United States. By connecting these initiatives, we are ensuring that our Gulf expansion is not an isolated effort but part of a broader global growth strategy. This approach balances investment attraction with the pursuit of direct revenue opportunities, creating a diversified model designed to deliver long-term partnerships, scalable operations, and responsible innovation.