Contracting in the Kingdom: building capability for the future
An interview with Youssef Mouzahem

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is pressing ahead with some of the most ambitious programmes and projects in the world. From giga-projects to infrastructure and defence, the scale is immense – and so is the pressure on commercial and contracting professionals to deliver. Youssef, Senior Associate Director at Jacobs, has spent the last three years working in the Kingdom and has seen first-hand how the contracting landscape is changing.
Moving from legacy to collaboration
“When I first arrived, you could still see the legacy of older projects – the same contracts rolled over year after year,” Youssef explains. “The language, the terms, the contractor performance, the delays and disputes – the issues were baked in.”
Despite these historical challenges, change is happening quickly. One clear sign is the growing appetite for collaborative contracting models, such as alliancing. He points to the London 2012 Olympics as an example, this model encourages sharing both risks and rewards among all parties, with a focus on finding solutions rather than prolonging disputes. “That idea –that everyone enters the room to find solutions, not to fight over disputes– is starting to take hold here,” he says. “It’s a huge step forward.”
For CCM practitioners across the region, the lesson is clear: adopting collaborative models can help manage complexity and foster alignment on large-scale projects.
The talent imperative
Of course, systems and models can only go so far without the people to implement them. Globally, there has long been a shortage of skilled commercial and contracting professionals, and the Middle East is no exception. Yet Youssef highlights a promising trend in Saudi Arabia: the emergence of a new generation of highly qualified professionals.
“Many Saudi nationals studied abroad, gained international experience, and were encouraged to return to the Kingdom to contribute to major programmes,” he says. “You can already see it across medicine, engineering, law–and now in contracting too.” He recalls attending a recent event in Riyadh where the majority of participants, including those in multinational firms, were Saudi nationals. “That would have been unimaginable not long ago. In five years, I expect to see many Saudis leading contracts and commercial teams across industries.”
A professionalised discipline
What makes this moment especially significant is the emergence of contracting as a recognised, professionalised discipline. For the first time, there is a global standard that sets out what excellence in contract and commercial management looks like – beyond procurement or legal knowledge.
“Contracting is no longer just transactional,” Youssef observes. “It’s about governance, performance, risk management, and relationship-building–the exact capabilities that new Saudi professionals are keen to develop.” This combination of talent development, international standards, and evolving contracting practices offers a blueprint not just for Saudi Arabia, but for the wider region.
Looking ahead
The challenges are real: building capability at scale, embedding new models, and shifting old mindsets takes time. But the direction of travel is unmistakable. Legacy practices are giving way to collaboration, talent pipelines are strengthening and a professionalised discipline is emerging.
For CCM practitioners across the Middle East, it offers both inspiration and practical lessons: building capability is not just about filling roles, but about shaping the future of the discipline itself.
The CCM Institute is the custodian of the global Contract Management Standard and the training which underpins its performance. Both represent critical elements for the performance uplifts highlighted in this interview, providing consistent approaches to contracting between buyers and suppliers and across jurisdictions. For more information, visit our learning page.
Youssef was in conversation with Tara Bevan and Tim Cummins from WorldCC and CCM Institute.
Youssef Mouzahem, Senior Associate Director at Jacobs (Saudi Arabia)
Youssef is a seasoned project and commercial management leader with expertise across oil & gas, infrastructure, and building projects for both contractors and consultants. As Senior Associate Director at Jacobs, he drives profitable outcomes by leading all aspects of commercial and contractual management, from pre-contract negotiations to claim resolution and dispute avoidance. A strategic thinker and advocate for professional growth, he founded the Arab Engineers Chapter at Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba and serves on the Global Advisory Board of World Commerce & Contracting. Certified PMP, P.Eng., CCMP, and LEED GA with an MSc in Project Management from UCLA, Youssef combines technical and commercial insight with a passion for mentoring and excellence.