Procurement with Purpose: Mohamed Kheir on Resilience, Sustainability, and National Alignment
With two decades of experience across supply chain, engineering, and strategic sourcing, Mohamed Abdelrahman Mohamed Kheir, Procurement Director at Durrah Advanced Development Company, has cultivated a procurement leadership philosophy grounded in resilience, data-driven decision-making, and long-term value creation.
Beginning his career from a technical foundation in mechanical engineering, Mohamed transitioned early into supply chain operations, learning first-hand how procurement supports continuity, efficiency, and business performance. His experience navigating complex supply disruptions, including the regional impact of the avian flu outbreak, reinforced a belief in proactive sourcing, market intelligence, and continuous improvement.
Today at Durrah, Mohamed leads a procurement function that plays a strategic role in supporting the Kingdom’s food security objectives and industrial diversification under Saudi Vision 2030. His approach prioritises supplier partnerships, sustainability, digital enablement, and cross-functional collaboration, positioning procurement not just as a cost function, but as a strategic engine driving operational excellence and national value creation.
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Career Journey & Leadership Philosophy: Can you share your career journey and what led you to your role as Procurement Director at Durrah? Which experiences have most influenced your approach to procurement leadership in the food manufacturing sector?
My career in procurement began with a technical foundation as a Mechanical Engineer. My first role was in a heavy equipment company’s spare parts department, where managing inventory levels and coordinating with suppliers and logistics teams introduced me to the world of procurement and supply management.
A defining experience came during the avian flu outbreak of 2016-2017, when I was overseeing the import of frozen liquid egg products from Europe for a mayonnaise production operation. The disruption forced us to rethink our sourcing strategy and explore alternative regional suppliers. Through this shift, we were able to maintain quality while reducing costs, easing logistics constraints, and improving warehouse efficiency.
That period fundamentally shaped my leadership philosophy. It reinforced the importance of staying curious, questioning the status quo, and continuously seeking smarter, more resilient solutions. True procurement leadership goes beyond purchasing, it is about enabling business continuity, strengthening supply chains, and ensuring long-term value creation through strategic decision-making and collaborative supplier relationships.
Procurement’s Role in Manufacturing Excellence: Durrah’s sugar refinery in Yanbu is celebrated for its state-of-the-art technology and high production standards. How does your procurement strategy support manufacturing excellence, ensuring quality and reliability in production?
At Durrah, procurement plays a central role in sustaining manufacturing excellence and operational reliability. Our approach begins with a thorough understanding of production requirements, from raw sugar and process chemicals to packaging materials and critical spare parts. By working closely with operations, engineering, and quality teams, we ensure that every sourced material directly contributes to consistency, efficiency, and high performance across the refinery.
Supplier selection and evaluation are conducted with rigor. Beyond commercial terms, we assess suppliers based on technical capability, product traceability, adherence to international quality standards, and their commitment to continuous improvement. This ensures that all inputs are aligned with Durrah’s manufacturing specifications and the advanced technology that drives our production lines.
We also support resilience through long-term agreements, strategic inventory planning, and increased localisation where feasible to strengthen supply security and reduce exposure to global volatility. Ultimately, procurement at Durrah is not a transactional function, it is a strategic discipline that safeguards product integrity, ensures uninterrupted operations, and reinforces our competitive advantage in the market.
Aligning Procurement with Saudi Vision 2030: Established in partnership with Saudi developers and global agribusiness leaders, Durrah’s operation aligns with national goals for diversification and food security. How does your procurement approach reinforce these strategic objectives?
Durrah’s procurement strategy is closely aligned with the core pillars of Saudi Vision 2030, particularly in advancing food security, industrial localisation, and sustainable economic growth. We prioritise sourcing from local suppliers and manufacturers wherever feasible, actively contributing to the development of domestic capability and reducing reliance on external markets.
Through long-term partnerships, supplier performance programs, and collaborative development initiatives, we support the uplift of local industry standards and knowledge transfer. At the same time, we maintain global sourcing channels for critical raw materials and technologies to ensure access to international expertise and continuous innovation.
For a strategic sector such as food production, supply continuity is essential. Our approach combines localised procurement with informed global sourcing strategies to strengthen national resilience and ensure stable supply of key commodities. In doing so, procurement becomes not only a functional necessity, but a strategic contributor to the Kingdom’s vision for self-sufficiency, diversification, and long-term economic sustainability.
Supplier Relationships & Quality Assurance: With a supply chain that serves both industrial clients and households, how do you build trusted supplier relationships and ensure consistent product quality across various segments?
Building strong supplier relationships is essential to sustaining Durrah’s reputation for quality, safety, and reliability. We take a partnership-centered approach, engaging suppliers as long-term strategic collaborators rather than transactional vendors. This starts with clear communication of our expectations, quality standards, certification requirements, audit criteria, and performance benchmarks are defined from the very beginning.
We implement a structured supplier prequalification and audit process to ensure compliance with technical specifications, food safety systems, and ethical sourcing standards. Once onboarded, supplier performance is monitored continuously through KPIs and regular review meetings, with improvement plans developed jointly where needed. We also recognise and reward high-performing suppliers, reinforcing a culture of shared accountability and mutual growth.
Because our products serve both industrial clients and end consumers, consistency is non-negotiable. Whether delivering bulk shipments or household packaging, every batch must meet the same quality and safety thresholds. By cultivating open communication, encouraging innovation, and maintaining a proactive quality assurance framework, we ensure our suppliers uphold Durrah’s commitment to excellence, so that every product leaving our facility reflects the same reliability, purity, and trust.
Sustainable Procurement Practices: Durrah emphasises eco-friendly operations from water-saving measures to zero-discharge processes. How do these sustainability goals influence your procurement policies and supplier selection?
At Durrah, sustainability is embedded into the core of how we source, partner, and operate. Our commitment is reflected in our alignment with international initiatives such as the VIVE Sustainable Supply Programme, which reinforces our focus on responsible sourcing, environmental stewardship, and continuous improvement across the supply chain. For us, operational excellence and sustainability are not separate ambitions, they are interconnected and mutually reinforcing.
Within procurement, these principles are translated into clear expectations and requirements. Most of our supply contracts and framework agreements now include defined ESG clauses, ethical sourcing standards, and compliance obligations tied to environmental performance. We engage suppliers not only on product and service capability, but also on their willingness to adopt resource-efficient practices, reduce waste, and maintain transparency in their own operations.
While we have established a strong foundation, our sustainability journey is ongoing. The next phase is to formalise measurable sustainability KPIs within procurement scorecards and supplier evaluations. This will ensure that every procurement decision not only meets immediate business needs but also contributes to Durrah’s broader vision of supporting a sustainable, resilient, and future-ready food manufacturing ecosystem.
Innovation and Technology in Procurement: Operating a modern facility built recently, how are you incorporating digital tools or innovative practices such as automation, analytics, or supplier portals to enhance procurement efficiency?
Technology plays a central role in how we manage procurement and supply chain operations at Durrah. From the beginning, we implemented SAP S/4HANA as our core ERP platform, supported by an integrated eProcurement system designed specifically to streamline sourcing, approvals, and supplier interactions. These systems were not introduced as optional enhancements, they were strategic enablers of efficiency, accountability, and real-time visibility across the procurement cycle.
By automating routine and repetitive tasks, we shift our team’s focus to higher-value activities such as supplier collaboration, cost optimisation, and long-term planning. The digital workflow ensures full traceability and audit readiness, strengthening governance and improving the speed and consistency of decision-making.
We are also expanding the use of data analytics to monitor supplier performance, forecast material demand, and identify opportunities for continuous improvement. These insights support proactive planning rather than reactive problem-solving.
Beyond tools and systems, technology is reshaping how we collaborate internally and with suppliers. Our goal is to transition to a fully digital, paper-free procurement environment by 2027, reflecting Durrah’s broader commitment to innovation, sustainability, and operational excellence.
Governance and Compliance in Procurement: Procurement governance plays a key role in ensuring transparency, consistency, and ethical sourcing. How does Durrah Advanced Development Company ensure strong governance and compliance across its procurement activities, and what internal policies or frameworks help maintain these standards?
Strong governance is a core pillar of Durrah’s procurement philosophy and directly reflects our organisational value of integrity. It guides how decisions are made, how suppliers are selected, and how contracts are executed. To reinforce this, we have collaborated with leading consultancies and conducted internal alignment workshops to build policies and procedures that balance transparency, accountability, and operational agility.
All procurement transactions, from requisition to supplier award, are channelled through structured digital workflows that ensure fairness, consistency, and full traceability. Competitive tenders are managed through a secure e-bidding platform, protecting confidentiality and promoting equal opportunity among suppliers.
In cases where exceptions are needed, a clear, tiered approval framework ensures decisions remain justifiable and compliant with internal controls. This approach supports disciplined governance while enabling flexibility to meet operational realities.
Ultimately, governance at Durrah is not viewed as a constraint, it is a shared responsibility that strengthens trust, upholds ethical standards, and protects the company’s reputation while enabling sustainable business value.
Empowering the Procurement Function: You’ve mentioned that empowerment of the procurement function is something rarely seen in the private sector, yet Durrah has embraced it successfully. How has this empowerment been achieved within the organisation, and what impact has it had on your team’s ability to deliver strategic value beyond traditional cost management?
Creating an empowered procurement function has been one of Durrah’s most meaningful strategic shifts. The company recognises procurement not as a transactional support role, but as a core driver of value, efficiency, and innovation. With a direct reporting line to the Chief Executive Officer, the procurement team operates with clear authority and strong alignment to organisational objectives.
This structure ensures procurement is engaged early in decision-making and project planning, allowing us to influence specifications, optimise sourcing strategies, and anticipate risks rather than simply react to requests. It also reinforces cross-functional collaboration, enhances transparency, and accelerates execution while maintaining strict accountability and governance.
The impact has been tangible. Today, nearly 90 percent of company spend is strategically managed through the procurement function, significantly above what is typical in the private sector. This level of ownership reflects trust, operational maturity, and a shared understanding that procurement contributes to far more than cost savings.
By empowering procurement, Durrah has positioned the function as a true business partner—one that drives continuous improvement, strengthens supply chain resilience, and supports sustainable, long-term growth.
Talent, Capability Building & Culture: As procurement evolves, what skills and competencies are you cultivating within your team to meet emerging needs in analytics, supplier sustainability, or strategic sourcing?
The most important investment we have made in procurement at Durrah is in our people. Our capability-building journey began almost two years ago, sparked by a junior colleague who regularly approached me with questions on topics such as S&OP, demand planning, and make-or-buy analysis. After each discussion, I asked him to present what he had learned to the team. Those informal sessions soon evolved into structured knowledge-sharing workshops.
From there, we built the Procurement Internal Training Program, a tailored development framework covering core competencies such as contracting, sustainable procurement, demand forecasting, data analytics, and advanced Excel. Every course includes study materials, practical assignments, and internal certification to ensure learning is both applied and measurable.
We also integrate real case studies drawn from our day-to-day operational challenges, enabling the team to collaborate in small groups to solve practical problems. In addition, we invite colleagues from other departments to join certain sessions, strengthening cross-functional alignment and shared ownership of procurement outcomes.
The results have been transformative. Team members are more confident, analytical, and proactive. Curiosity has become part of our culture. Knowledge is shared, not siloed. Most importantly, the team now sees procurement not just as a role, but as a discipline that drives value, innovation, and organisational progress.
Future Trends & Procurement Vision: Looking ahead, what procurement trends or innovations do you foresee shaping the sugar and food manufacturing supply landscape? How is Durrah preparing to stay ahead of these changes?
The future of procurement in the food manufacturing industry will be shaped by how effectively organisations leverage data, technology, and market intelligence to navigate increasing volatility. Commodity price fluctuations, evolving trade dynamics, and supply chain disruptions are no longer exceptions, they are part of the operating environment. This makes forecasting accuracy, visibility, and scenario planning more critical than ever.
At Durrah, we are already exploring AI-enabled demand forecasting and advanced analytics to enhance our planning capabilities and enable faster, more informed decision-making. These tools will allow us to anticipate potential risks earlier, respond to market shifts with agility, and optimise our sourcing strategies in real time.
However, technology alone is not the full answer. The organisations that will lead in the future will be those that combine digital intelligence with human insight, strategic supplier collaboration, and a culture of continuous improvement.
Our vision is to maintain a procurement function that is intelligent, agile, and resilient, one that not only responds effectively to global market challenges but actively shapes value creation and strengthens Durrah’s competitive position for the years ahead.
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