Monday 2 November 2026
12:30
John Pagano
What's next for Saudi Arabia?
John Pagano is the man tapped by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to spearhead Saudi Arabia’s vast nation-building developments, known as giga-projects. In conversation with John Arlidge, he will sketch out the short- to medium-term economic prospects for the kingdom.
John Pagano
Group CEO of Red Sea Global
John is Group CEO of Red Sea Global (RSG), a PIF-backed developer and cornerstone of Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification agenda, whose portfolio spans tourism, residential, infrastructure and healthcare. He is Managing Director at Al-Ula Development Company, which is making the northern desert town of Al-Ula a bucket-list item for many travellers, thanks to its 2,000-year-old tombs carved into rocky outcrops. He is also Managing Director of the King Abdullah Financial District, Riyadh’s equivalent of Canary Wharf. He is a board member of Neom, the company behind two projects: Sindalah island in the Red Sea and The Line, a proposed £500 billion linear city 1,600ft tall and stretching 100 miles inland from the new Red Sea resort of Neom. Before joining RSG, John spent 23 years at Canary Wharf Group, latterly as Managing Director of Development.
John Pagano
Group CEO of Red Sea Global
John is Group CEO of Red Sea Global (RSG), a PIF-backed developer and cornerstone of Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification agenda, whose portfolio spans tourism, residential, infrastructure and healthcare. He is Managing Director at Al-Ula Development Company, which is making the northern desert town of Al-Ula a bucket-list item for many travellers, thanks to its 2,000-year-old tombs carved into rocky outcrops. He is also Managing Director of the King Abdullah Financial District, Riyadh’s equivalent of Canary Wharf. He is a board member of Neom, the company behind two projects: Sindalah island in the Red Sea and The Line, a proposed £500 billion linear city 1,600ft tall and stretching 100 miles inland from the new Red Sea resort of Neom. Before joining RSG, John spent 23 years at Canary Wharf Group, latterly as Managing Director of Development.