Islam Al Bayaa takes over as CEO of KPMG Middle East

Summary

• Islam Al Bayaa formally assumed the role of CEO of KPMG Middle East on 1 October 2026.
• He leads more than 5,000 staff across ten offices in six countries, according to KPMG.
• The firm also named Khalil Al Sedais Country Leader for Saudi Arabia, its largest market.

The latest

A new chief executive has taken charge of KPMG Middle East, with Islam Al Bayaa formally assuming the role on 1 October 2026, four and a half months after his appointment was announced. The firm said he will oversee operations spanning Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq. KPMG simultaneously appointed Khalil Al Sedais as Country Leader for Saudi Arabia.

Details

• The timeline: KPMG announced Al Bayaa's appointment on 15 May 2026, confirming then that he would take office effective 1 October 2026. The firm said in its statement, issued from Riyadh, that he has now formally assumed the role, closing a transition window of roughly four and a half months.
• The scope: According to KPMG, Al Bayaa will lead operations across six countries — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq — overseeing more than 5,000 people in ten offices. The statement did not break down headcount by country.
• His background: KPMG said Al Bayaa brings more than three decades of experience across professional services, transactions and investment banking. He began his career with KPMG in the United Kingdom, spent over a decade in investment banking in London, and rejoined the firm in Saudi Arabia in January 2009.
• The Saudi appointment: As Al Bayaa begins his tenure, the firm named Khalil Al Sedais Country Leader for Saudi Arabia. KPMG said he has more than 22 years of experience in audit and advisory services and had served as Regional Managing Partner for Riyadh since 2013.
• Al Sedais credentials: Al Sedais sits on the board of the KPMG Middle East firm and chairs its Advisory Quality and Nationalization committees, according to the statement. He is a Certified Public Accountant with SOCPA, where he served on the board and executive committee between 2021 and 2024.
• Regulatory roles: KPMG said Al Sedais is also a board member of the Saudi Authority for Accredited Valuers, known as TAQEEM, the body overseeing the valuation profession in the Kingdom. The firm did not say whether he will retain his Riyadh managing partner responsibilities alongside the national role.
• The CEO's priority: Al Bayaa said the Middle East is entering a new period of growth and that his focus will be on bringing the firm's capabilities together more effectively across KPMG Middle East. He did not set out specific targets, timelines or structural changes.
• The Saudi agenda: Al Sedais said the Kingdom's transformation continues to reshape the opportunities and expectations facing businesses, naming three priorities: "keeping KPMG close to our clients, strengthening the quality and depth of our expertise, and continuing to invest in Saudi talent."

Background

KPMG is one of the four largest global audit and advisory networks. Its Middle East firm operates as a single regional entity covering multiple national markets, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE as its core bases of operation.

Between the lines

The sequencing is notable: the Saudi country leadership was filled at the same moment the regional CEO took office, and both men come from inside the firm — Al Bayaa rejoined in Saudi Arabia in 2009, Al Sedais has run Riyadh since 2013. Both statements place Saudi Arabia at the centre of the growth case, consistent with the Kingdom hosting the largest share of the firm's regional footprint.

What's next

Watch for KPMG Middle East to detail any restructuring of its regional operating model under Al Bayaa, and whether the Riyadh managing partner post vacated in practice by Al Sedais is separately filled.

Source: KPMG Middle East, ZAWYA