Makarem S. Batterjee

Makarem Sobhi Batterjee is a business leader in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with over 20 years of experience in healthcare, consulting and investment. He is the President and Vice Chairman of Saudi German Health and through his visionary leadership he has been responsible for the complete transformation and rejuvenation of the 30+ year old organization. Mr. Batterjee is the founder and leader of some of the largest business organizations in Saudi Arabia. Apart from being Saudi German Health’s President and Vice Chairman, he is also the President of the family-owned Bait Al Batterjee Group, a diversified organization with investment in over 30 subsidiaries. He is the Founder of Humania Capital, a private equity fund that has successfully raised significant amounts for projects in the GCC and North Africa, and the founder and CEO of the New City Company, which builds contemporary shopping centres in the country. He also owns the Golds Gym franchise in KSA and is the owner of JanPro, a commercial cleaning brand. Mr. Makarem is the founding President of the Saudi Chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, a global, peer-to-peer network of more than 13,000 influential business owners with 186 chapters in 58 countries. As an active social entrepreneur, Mr. Makarem is a health and wellness advocate as well as a strong supporter of women empowerment initiatives. He is credited for bringing the Gold’s Gym franchise to Saudi Arabia and building the largest and first-of-its-kind female gym in the world. Mr. Makarem holds an MBA from London Business School and an honorary doctorate from the United Nations for Arts Middle East and Africa, which he was awarded in recognition of his efforts to promote women empowerment. He is part of the Arab version of the US-based reality TV show Shark Tank, as one of its panellists. The show features Saudi entrepreneurs who pitch their businesses, products, or services to prospective investors. He is also the youngest member and one of the few Arab members of the prestigious Bretton Woods Committee in Washington, DC. The committee comprises international business leaders who champion global efforts to spur economic growth, alleviate poverty, and improve financial stability. He was also chosen as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos in 2008.