Mondelēz appoints Ziad Abla as Managing Director for Arabia
Mondelēz names Ziad Abla to lead Arabia operations as the company deepens investment and growth focus in Saudi Arabia.
SAUDI ARABIA – Mondelēz International, Inc. has announced the appointment of Ziad Abla as Managing Director of Mondelēz Arabia, underscoring the company’s long-term commitment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, one of its most strategic markets.
Abla is a seasoned Mondelēz executive with more than 25 years of experience across the Middle East, Africa, Turkey, and other emerging markets.
Throughout his career, he has built a strong reputation for accelerating growth, strengthening commercial performance, and developing high-performing organizations.
His appointment is viewed as a strategic step in advancing Mondelēz’s ambitions in Saudi Arabia.
In his new role, Abla will lead Mondelēz’s operations in the Kingdom, setting a clear vision and strategy while driving category expansion and deepening partnerships.
His mandate also includes strengthening organizational capabilities in alignment with the country’s national transformation agenda under Saudi Vision 2030.
Abla will oversee supply chain performance to ensure agility, reliability, and operational excellence across the value chain. This includes supporting market demand, meeting customer and consumer expectations, and enabling the company’s long-term growth ambitions.
His focus will remain on unlocking new growth opportunities, enhancing commercial excellence, and building a more locally empowered and future-ready organization.
Prior to his appointment in Saudi Arabia, Abla served as Managing Director for the Gulf & Developing Markets, where he repositioned the business as a key growth engine.
During this period, the region delivered strong double-digit performance, recorded market share gains, and accelerated digital commerce initiatives.
His leadership also involved close oversight of integrated commercial and supply chain operations, improving service levels and execution across diverse markets.
Abla will continue to advance Mondelēz Arabia’s priorities in local talent development, governance, and long-term sustainability. His experience in operational excellence, renewable energy initiatives, and culture-building is expected to further strengthen the company’s contribution to Saudi Arabia’s economic and social objectives.
“Saudi Arabia is a market of immense opportunity, and I am honored to lead Mondelēz Arabia at such a pivotal time,” said Abla. “We will continue to invest in local talent, deepen partnerships, and drive sustainable growth aligned with the Kingdom’s broader transformation.”
The leadership appointment comes as Mondelēz reported solid financial performance for the full year 2025. The company recorded a 5.8% increase in net revenue to US$38.5 billion, supported by organic net revenue growth of 4.3%, driven primarily by higher pricing, partly offset by lower volume and mix.
Looking ahead, Mondelēz forecast organic net revenue growth of flat to 2% in 2026 and adjusted earnings per share growth of flat to 5% on a constant-currency basis, alongside approximately US$3 billion in expected free cash flow.
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