Who’s Who: Shahid Khan, Global Head of Media, Entertainment, Sports, and Culture sector at Arthur D. Little (ADL)

Shahid Khan, Global Head of Media, Entertainment, Sports, and Culture sector at Arthur D. Little (ADL).
Shahid Khan, Global Head of Media, Entertainment, Sports, and Culture sector at Arthur D. Little (ADL).
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Updated 26 April 2025
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Who’s Who: Shahid Khan, Global Head of Media, Entertainment, Sports, and Culture sector at Arthur D. Little (ADL)

Who’s Who: Shahid Khan, Global Head of Media, Entertainment, Sports, and Culture sector at Arthur D. Little (ADL)

Shahid Khan is the global head of media, entertainment, sports and culture at Arthur D. Little (ADL), the world’s oldest management consulting firm.

Raised in Kuwait and conversational in Arabic, Khan brings a globally informed yet locally grounded perspective shaped by a 25-year professional career across the US, Europe and the GCC.

In recent years, he has centered his efforts on Saudi Arabia’s transformation under Vision 2030.

As part of this commitment, he relocated to the region and moved ADL’s global headquarters for the MESC practice to Riyadh, from where he leads the firm’s global engagements.

Since 2018, Khan has served as a trusted adviser to a range of Saudi entities — including ministries, regulators, commissions, sovereign wealth funds, and leaders from the private and non-profit sectors.

His work spans media, entertainment, sports, gaming, culture, tourism, hospitality and other adjacent sectors.
Khan’s advisory scope includes sector development and enablement, policy and regulatory design, innovation, value creation, commercialization, investment and transaction advisory, partnerships and sponsorships, branding, marketing & communications, digitalization, business incubation & venture building, and large-scale transformations.

His commitment to the region is evident in his work and approach. He and his team are known for going beyond traditional consulting outputs — delivering tangible, lasting results that support long-term sustainable impact. Additionally, Khan has contributed to the Kingdom’s creative economy through advisory roles, including serving on the boards of the Saudi Film Fund and Sandbox.

Before anchoring his work in the Middle East, Khan spent more than two decades immersed in the Hollywood and wider global media and technology space. He held senior leadership roles at consulting firms such as IBM Global Services, BearingPoint, Zefer, and Accenture (formerly IBB Consulting), and worked with industry giants including Disney, NBC Universal, Time Inc., Dow Jones, Conde Nast, WWE, and GolfNow among many others.

As a serial entrepreneur, he founded Mediamorph, a revolutionary cloud-based platform that transformed how digital content is bought and sold. The platform earned the Cablefax Tech Award, was named in Deloitte’s Fast 500, and was later acquired by Whip Media Group. He also launched MAG (Meridian Advisory Group), a boutique consultancy focused on media, entertainment, sports, and tech & wireless innovation, which was recognized by Consulting Magazine as one of its “Seven Small Jewels” before being acquired by ADL in 2021.

Khan earned his MBA in finance and marketing from New York University’s Stern School of Business. He is an active member of the Young Presidents’ Organization — having served on the board of the Manhattan chapter, and is now a member of the Saudi chapter — and is a former board member of NATPE, a global content industry association. His contributions have been recognized through accolades such as “Top 25 Digital Transformation Leaders” and “50 Outstanding Asian Americans in Business.”

Khan is a proud father of two, who are already carrying his legacy forward – his son is in investment banking at Jefferies, focused on media, entertainment, and sports, while his daughter is following a similar path at LionTree.


Coffee and chocolate festival draws crowds for a flavorful experience

Coffee and chocolate festival draws crowds for a flavorful experience
Updated 07 November 2025
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Coffee and chocolate festival draws crowds for a flavorful experience

Coffee and chocolate festival draws crowds for a flavorful experience
  • The exhibition provided opportunities for those interested in increasing their knowledge or professionally pursuing coffee or chocolate making, to attend workshops presented by specialists using the latest training methods

JEDDAH: The Jeddah International Coffee and Chocolate Exhibition 2025, which was held from Nov. 5-7 at the Hilton, drew in thousands of visitors this year. 

The popular annual event featured over 70 exhibitors, including top coffee and chocolate suppliers and manufacturers, entrepreneurs, and professionals in the industry and distribution sector.

The popular annual event featured over 70 exhibitors, including top coffee and chocolate suppliers and manufacturers, entrepreneurs. (AN photo)

It also included a diverse selection of booths for manufacturers and suppliers promoting sweets, dates, and ice cream.

The exhibition provided opportunities for those interested in increasing their knowledge or professionally pursuing coffee or chocolate making, to attend workshops presented by specialists using the latest training methods.

The popular annual event featured over 70 exhibitors, including top coffee and chocolate suppliers and manufacturers, entrepreneurs. (AN photo)

Speaking at the event, Suhail bin Bakr Al-Tayyar, CEO of Nitaq Business Co. who organized the event, stressed that this year’s edition witnessed broad participation from local and international companies, and interactive programs enriched the visitor experience and supported the growth of this vital sector in the Kingdom.

He said: “The exhibition represents a leading national platform to empower Saudi youth and entrepreneurs, and to promote a culture of quality and creativity in the coffee and chocolate industry, in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 in supporting innovation and developing promising sectors.”

The popular annual event featured over 70 exhibitors, including top coffee and chocolate suppliers and manufacturers, entrepreneurs. (AN photo)

Alongside traditional coffee beverages and chocolate tasting, the exhibition included the first-ever Saudi Coffee and Chocolate Championship, along with a number of workshops, competitions, and panel discussions presented by specialists in coffee preparation and chocolate making. 

The opening ceremony on Wednesday was attended by top officials from Jeddah Municipality, elite coffee and chocolatiers, entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors.