Open World has officially appointed Dr. Salman Al-Khaldi as Regional President and General Manager of Saudi Arabia, with full responsibility for the operation of the country's RWA (Real World Assets) Tokenization Center of Excellence. This move marks a key step for Saudi Arabia in building a regulated and scalable digital asset infrastructure, deeply aligned with the strategic goal of promoting the digital economy in the national "Vision 2030".
As a licensed institution headquartered in Saudi Arabia, the RWA Tokenization Center of Excellence will focus on the compliant tokenization of real-world assets such as energy, real estate, and carbon credits, strictly following the data sovereignty and governance requirements of regulatory agencies such as the Saudi Central Bank and the Capital Market Authority. The center aims to provide trusted digital asset solutions to large industrial entities such as Saudi Aramco and its joint ventures, promoting the secure migration of traditional assets to blockchain platforms.
Dr. Al-Khaldi has over two decades of executive experience in the technology, oil, and chemical industries, and has led several large-scale projects worth over $7 billion at Saudi Aramco, covering financial planning, talent development, and cross-departmental collaboration. He has also provided policy advice to the Saudi Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, deeply involved in the construction of the national energy information system, and is familiar with Saudi commercial regulations, government contract frameworks, and international cooperation mechanisms.
Matt Shaw, CEO of Open World, said: "We are making a long-term investment in the Saudi market. Dr. Al-Khaldi's local experience and execution capabilities are key to winning the trust of local institutions and building a digital infrastructure that meets Saudi standards."
Dr. Al-Khaldi pointed out: "Saudi Arabia is building a digital asset infrastructure in a systematic and institutionalized manner, with mature timing and clear goals. The RWA Center provides us with a solid foundation for compliant operations in the local area, directly supporting the country's digital goals in energy transition and the green economy."
In the future, the center will serve as Saudi Arabia's first licensed hub focusing on the tokenization of real-world assets, promoting the implementation of institutional-level application scenarios and setting a new regulatory compliance benchmark for the digital asset ecosystem in the Middle East.