Data platform foundations
Your numbers live in five systems and nobody trusts the dashboard. I design and deliver the warehouse, pipelines and BI layer on AWS that give the business one source of truth.
Saud Al Saud
Engineering & Data Leader · Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
I help companies turn scattered data and stretched engineering teams into platforms and organizations that hold up at scale.
I build data platforms and the engineering and data teams that run them, from the first hire to multi-squad organizations. I work where architecture, delivery and team-building meet: deciding what to build, building it properly, and hiring the people who keep it running.
How I help
For founders, CTOs and executives at growing companies in Saudi Arabia who need senior engineering or data experience on their side.
Building the team
You need a data or engineering function, not just a few hires. I define the structure and roles, run the hiring, and set up the delivery practices so the team works without me.
Robust integrations
Partner, supplier, ERP or CRM integrations your business depends on. I design and build them with the monitoring and fallbacks that keep them reliable.
Every engagement is shaped around what you actually need. It starts with a 30-minute call.
Work Experience
– PRESENT
Data and Engineering Director
Akeed Travel ·
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Direct software engineering and data architecture across Platform, Marketplace, Corporate, and OS engineering squads.
- Lead the technical integration and certification of direct airline NDC distribution APIs, utilizing serverless middleware on AWS Lambda to ensure highly available booking orchestration.
- Oversee the multi-platform deployment architecture and edge-security implementation across iOS, Android, and Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) ecosystems.
–
Data Director
Akeed Travel ·
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Spearheaded the establishment of the enterprise data department, recruiting and leading technical teams to execute a comprehensive, scalable data strategy.
- Architected and deployed robust data infrastructure, encompassing centralized data warehousing and automated ETL pipelines to support high-volume operations.
- Directed the complex integration of multiple global travel suppliers' data into the central warehouse, driving real-time pricing optimizations and drastically improving inventory accuracy.
- Pioneered new data monetization initiatives by engineering B2B data products and subscription add-ons.
- Designed and deployed executive BI solutions, fostering a data-driven culture and equipping leadership with actionable operational intelligence.
–
Big Data Manager
Alamar Foods Company ·
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Architected the migration of Alamar’s data infrastructure from fragmented on-premise and cloud repositories into a unified data warehouse on AWS, establishing a single source of truth for MENAP operations.
- Engineered resilient ETL pipelines with automated data standardization, cleaning, and completion checks to eliminate manual operational workflows.
- Expanded the enterprise data ecosystem by successfully integrating new operational sources, notably leading the data infrastructure rollout for Dunkin' Donuts North Africa.
- Directed the seamless technical integration of CRM and ERP systems, ensuring automated daily warehouse synchronization and reporting reliability.
- Transitioned BI reporting from legacy Microsoft PowerBI to DataLexing, directly supporting various business units with complex ad-hoc analytics.
–
Senior Researcher
KACST ·
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Collaborated on joint aeronautics and astronautics research projects between KACST and Stanford University.
- Represented the Center of Excellence in advanced technical workshops across Riyadh and Stanford, CA.
–
Intern
SAP ·
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Completed rotational cooperative training across Pre-Sales, Solutioning, Project Management, and enterprise system implementation for a key government client.
Education
–
MSc, Computer Science
University of Southampton · Southampton, UK
- Selected Modules: Foundations of AI, Intelligent Agents, Evolution of Complexity, Image Processing, Simulation Modeling, and Advanced Intelligent Agents.
- Dissertation Topic: An Online Algorithm for Solving Pandora’s Box Problem.
–
BSc, Computer Science
Prince Sultan University ·
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Core Competencies
Data Engineering & Architecture
- Data Architecture
- ETL / Data Pipelining
- Data Warehousing
- Data Integration
- Algorithm Analysis
Cloud & Modern Stack
- AWS (Lambda, S3, Redshift, EC2, ECS, RDS, Glue)
- SQL
- dbt
- Python
- Node.js
- Laravel
Engineering Leadership
- Strategic Planning
- Enterprise Architecture
- Data Strategy Formulation
- Technical Roadmap Delivery
Languages
- Arabic Native
- English Fluent
Work with me
I take on a small number of consulting and advisory engagements at a time, and I'm open to conversations about senior engineering and data leadership roles. Book a call and tell me what you're working on.