Northrop Grumman Appoints Walid Abukhaled As Chief Executive, Saudi Arabia

(RTTNews) - Defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC) Sunday announced the appointment of His Excellency Walid Abukhaled as chief executive for Saudi Arabia, effective January 1, 2014.

In this new position, Abukhaled will be responsible for the company's operations in the Kingdom, accelerating growth and exploring opportunities for public-private partnerships. He will coordinate the company's relationship with Saudi Arabia and provide strategic support to its Middle East business activities.

Abukhaled was most recently Deputy Minister for Industrial Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in Riyadh. Prior to that, he was president and chief executive officer of General Electric (GE), Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Before joining GE, he worked for BAE Systems in Saudi Arabia.

David Perry, corporate vice president and chief global business development officer, Northrop, said, "His appointment will enhance significantly our in-country presence and position the company for success in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East region as we continue to broaden our global market focus."