Kamal Bahamdan, a seasoned entrepreneur, business builder, and five-time Olympic equestrian and bronze medal winner, was elected to the Boston University Board of Trustees this fall. He will begin his tenure in December.
Bahamdan, a 1994 alumnus of Boston University, is the Founder and CEO of Safanad, a global holding company co-headquartered in New York and Riyadh. Under Bahamdan’s leadership, Safanad has executed more than $11 billion (USD) in transactions since its establishment in 2009 and instituted a number of market-leading platforms across healthcare, digital infrastructure and real estate.
Additionally, in the education sector, Bahamdan has spent more than two decades as an investor, advocate and philanthropist—driven by a relentless focus on lifelong learning, academic excellence, and a determination to push beyond boundaries. Today, Safanad has built one of the fastest-growing, US-based K-12 education companies with over 60,000 students in the US, UK, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East; the UK’s largest care home operator; and a leading US-based data center operator.
In 2022, Bahamdan established the Bahamdan Endowed Professorship for Early Childhood Well-Being at the Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, where he serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board. This marked a significant milestone in Boston University’s effort to support greater understanding of early childhood development and care.
“We’re very pleased that Kamal Bahamdan has joined the board,” said Melissa Gilliam, President of Boston University. “He brings a wealth of experience, a strong history of leadership, and an enduring commitment to Boston University to the Board, and I look forward to working together as we continue to build upon the University’s existing successes, into the future.”
Ahmass Fakahany, Chair of the Boston University Board of Trustees, describes Bahamdan as a “unique leader and entrepreneur across several sectors,” adding that he will bring “critical insights in support of Boston University’s global strategic vision during its next stage of transformation and distinction. We welcome his contribution to the University’s long tradition of excellence and look forward to his partnership.”
“Boston University has played a defining role in my personal and professional journey, shaping the values that continue to guide me today,” said Kamal Bahamdan. “It is an honor to join the Board of Trustees and contribute to the University’s mission of advancing knowledge and global impact.
Education has always been a personal passion and a powerful bridge for collaboration, and I look forward to supporting BU’s global vision by deepening its connections across the United States, the Middle East, and beyond.”
As the governing body of the University, the Board of Trustees provides oversight of and has fiduciary responsibility for the University’s academic, financial, and business affairs. The Trustees elect the President (who is responsible for the day-to-day management of the University), review the strategies and performance of the University’s administrative team, and assist in long-range planning and development.
In addition to his roles at BU and Safanad, Bahamdan is also vice chairman of the Bahamdan Group, a family-owned global investment group with a 70-year history of investing in the Middle East and global markets. Prior to Safanad, he was CEO of the Bahamdan Group, and before that, he co-founded the Washington, DC-based private equity firm BV Group.
At both the Bahamdan Group and BV Group, Bahamdan keenly identified strategic opportunities to build market-leading businesses. At the Bahamdan Group, he led several major turnarounds in the industrial and consumer goods sectors, built one of the largest private school operators in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and served as an early investor in the world’s largest online education company supporting its expansion into MENA through the launch of the region’s first online school.
At BV Group, he led the early identification of numerous greenfield and buy-and-build opportunities across real estate, technology, education, and other fields in the US, Europe, and Asia.
Through investments and philanthropy, Bahamdan has established himself as an innovator and early adopter in cutting-edge educational platforms from the early childhood level on through higher education. His deep interest in education transformation has resulted in a commitment to investing in solutions to broaden access to high-quality education around the world.
Notably, Bahamdan is also a Member of the Board of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Olympic & Paralympic Committee and was recognized as a Young Global Leader in 2006 by the World Economic Forum.
The Board meets at least three times each year. Members of the Board are elected to terms of one to three years, subject to an overall limit of fourteen consecutive years of service.
