Saudi academic specializing in entrepreneurship and startups.

He has served as the General Manager of Innovation and Modern Technology at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture since March 2023. In this role, he directs the Ministry’s innovation agenda to accelerate the transition toward sustainability in the environmental, water, and agricultural sectors in alignment with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

Motaz is a member of the British Academy of Management (BAM), the Institute for Small Business & Entrepreneurship (ISBE) in the UK, and the Financial Management Association (FMA) in the United States.

He brings more than 15 years of experience in institutional transformation, innovation leadership, and entrepreneurship within the Kingdom’s sustainability sectors. He played a key role in establishing MEWA’s General Department for Innovation to institutionalize innovation and localize technologies. He also contributed to launching the Regulatory Sandbox Program to support innovation and technology adoption, as well as the First Forum for Innovation and Modern Technologies and the Technology Deployment Program, designed to accelerate the adoption of innovative solutions for sustainability and essential sector needs.

Motaz implemented MEWA’s Intellectual Property Program in collaboration with the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property and developed a comprehensive innovation training program in partnership with the Global Innovation Institute, training 60 employees in 2025. Additionally, he led the Saudi–Netherlands Strategic Partnership, ratified by the Council of Ministers, resulting in 27 agreements to localize innovative technologies. He has also organized and chaired several national and international conferences focusing on innovation in the environment, water, and agriculture sectors.

Prior to his current role, Motaz served as General Manager of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Ministry of Education and held academic positions at Majmaah University, including leading the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Unit and serving as a lecturer, and later as an assistant professor, in finance and entrepreneurship.

He has provided business development advisory services to multiple organizations, has also been a member of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), a member of the advisory board for the Future Technologies Ambassadors Program at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and Financial Manager at Seyaj Security Services Company.

Motaz is also a serial entrepreneur, having founded several startups in Saudi Arabia, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

He received the “Best Research Paper Award” at the International Conference on Community Social Entrepreneurship (ICSEE), the “Scientific Excellence Award” from the Saudi Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and several awards of distinction from Attachés Faisal Aba Al-Khail, Fahd Al-Na’eem, and Abdulaziz Al-Maqoushi.

Motaz holds a PhD in Entrepreneurship and Startups from the University of Brighton, UK (2019), an MBA from Swansea University, UK (2014), and a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Marketing from Western Kentucky University, USA (2011).