Still in his 30s, Hammad was appointed as the head of the Saudi Arabia 2034 Bid Unit that successfully delivered the highest FIFA bid evaluation score in history. He led a team of 100+ , with the support of Government Authorities, to deliver a thoroughly crafted technical bid that created history for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, earning the right to host its first FIFA World Cup™ in 2034 . Hammad played a pivotal role, engaging key stakeholders both in Saudi Arabia and across the international football ecosystem to build strong diplomatic relations and alignment. He was responsible for leading expert groups across multiple functions, all striving towards the goal of Saudi Arabia staging the first edition of a 48-team FIFA World Cup™ held in a single nation. The task was complex and Hammad played a leading role across every workstream; from building a high performance team, to designing a winning strategy, to directing executional excellence. As a national priority, this project brought privilege and pressure in equal measure.
Previously, Hammad was the General Manager of Tourism Investment at the Ministry of Tourism, part of a team responsible for the development of the National Tourism Strategy. He was formerly the Director of Business Development at the General Entertainment Authority. Hammad became Assistant Deputy Minister for Strategic Planning & Investment at the Ministry of Sport, where he contributed to formulating the Kingdom’s ambitious National Sports Strategy; and led the privatization initiative of state-owned sports assets for the very first time.
Hammad now serves as Chief Strategy and Planning Officer at the World Cup 2034 Hosting Higher Authority, playing a crucial role in delivering the tournament of a lifetime. He is responsible for leading the development of Saudi Arabia’s hosting ambition, in addition to the Master Plan, which will harmonize the efforts of 1,000+ projects across the Kingdom.
