Deputy Minister for Administrative and Financial Affairs

Ali Bin Abdullah Allafi

Current Position: Deputy Minister for Administrative and Financial Affairs

• I’m a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) with more than 28 years of extensive and varied work experience inside and outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the areas of accounting, financial policies, financial planning, internal audit, project management, human resources, and information technology. 
• My work in the oil and gas sector, and later in the healthcare service sector, has enriched my exposure to commercial and governmental financial systems domestically and abroad.
• I was the first Saudi to occupy three managerial and executive positions throughout my career. Saudi Aramco has sponsored the scholarship for my bachelor's and master's degrees. I have also completed several executive leadership programs sponsored by the company, from which I earned two professional certifications: Certified internal auditor and certified fraud auditor. 
• I have also worked as a member of the board of directors of three Saudi Aramco subsidiaries. I’m currently a member of the board of directors and chair of the Audit and Risk Committee at Saudi Air Navigation Services (SANS). I’m also a member of the Audit and Risk Committee of the General Authority of Civil Aviation.                                                                

• Health Minister Adviser/ Deputy Minister for Finance & Admin (CFO) at the Saudi Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia 2015 - Present
• I ensure the financial system's alignment with the best international practices, the directives of the Ministry of Finance, and the strategies of MOH. I also ensure coordination and close cooperation with the Ministry of Finance to strengthen and develop government financial systems, implement a enterprises resource planning (ERP) system, and develop financial planning and budgeting. The aim is to ensure optimal use of resources, and maintain an efficient, reliable and accurate financial system.
• CFO - Aramco Trading Company, Saudi Arabia - 2012-1014
• The international business of petroleum products is exposed to great risks, which requires high-quality financial controls, continuous evaluation of procedures, follow-up of international markets, and human capacity development, in addition to applying Systems Applications and Product (SAP), which has been successfully achieved. 
• CFO - King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia - 2011-2011
• An urgent one-year mission I was assigned to manage the financial sector, which was dealing with some challenges at that time. During this mission, I took part in the process of recruiting the permanent CFO.
• CFO - Aramco Services, Houston, USA - 2008-2010
• I managed the repercussions of the global financial crisis, the new Tax Declaration laws and their impact on the company, and provided support to Saudi Aramco and its business and subsidiaries in the United States of America. In addition, I ensured that the company was getting the best revenue possible on its cash investments, while ensuring compliance with investment policies.
• Head of Operational Budget and Financial Planning Programs - Saudi Aramco Company, Saudi Arabia - 2005 - 2007
• I have prepared the directives of submitting the operational plan and budget. I have also managed unifying, reviewing, and discussing the company's annual operational planning and budgeting, as well as issuing periodic reports and measuring the performance of budget implementation. Moreover, I handled submitting reports to the senior management and the Board of Directors.
• Financial Representative/ Leader - Saudi Aramco Company, Saudi Arabia -  1981 - 2004
• The company has sponsored my undergraduate and master's degree scholarships abroad. I was assigned to a two-year overseas mission as a Financial Representative in the Ras Tanura Refinery Development Project (Los Angeles). I have occupied many positions in in the financial, treasury, and internal auditing departments, as well as many other administrative positions.
  

• MBA-Accounting - 1995
• Colorado State University, Colorado, USA
• BS in Accounting - 1987
• Indiana State University, Indiana, USA