The Saudi crown prince has approved the granting of Saudi citizenship to American businessman Travis Kalanick and John Pagano, CEO of Red Sea Global.
They join a select group of scholars, innovators, rare-skills professionals and entrepreneurs who have already been granted Saudi citizenship. The move is part of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to support talented scholars, researchers and entrepreneurs and encourage investment in human potential.
Kalanick and Pagano have recently converted to Islam and have had successful careers building technology companies, developing startups and promoting the tourism sector.
Travis Kalanick is the co-founder and former CEO of Uber; as of 2017, the company had a market value of $150 billion. Kalanick currently serves as CEO of CloudKitchens. The company operates a delivery service in more than 400 locations worldwide and operates in the Middle East under the name KitchenPark (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE). Kalanick has accelerated the company’s expansion by raising about $1.25 billion from investors. He is also the founder of the 10100 Fund, which invests in real estate, e-commerce and innovative projects in China and India.
John Pagano, meanwhile, has more than 40 years of experience. In 2006, he became president of Bahama Mar and oversaw the development of the $3.6 billion Baha Ma resort. He currently leads the Red Sea and AMAALA projects. These projects will be under his control after the merger of Red Sea Development Company and AMAALA in 2022. Pagano was also included in the 2024 “Travel and Tourism Leaders” list by Forbes Middle East.
These steps are part of Saudi Arabia’s policy to develop the international tourism sector and add value to its economy.