Mohamed Abu Dawood appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of Merit Incentive Programs Group
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Merit Group , a global loyalty and incentive technology company operating in more than 100 countries, announced the appointment of Mohamed Abudawood as Chairman of the Board, in a move to strengthen its global expansion and corporate capabilities.
Mr. Mohammed Abu Dawood is a prominent business leader with a career spanning over three decades across trade, manufacturing, distribution, and international partnerships. As the founder of Abu Dawood Trading Company (retail sector), Ecolab's corporate distribution business, and Abu Dawood Industrial Company in the Royal Commission of Yanbu, he has contributed to building and expanding major platforms in the retail and corporate distribution sectors, in addition to forging strategic global partnerships and launching private label brands in the consumer goods and industrial sectors.
During his career, Mr. Abu Dawood served as the General Manager of two joint ventures between Clorox USA and Saudi partners for more than 20 years, where he led regional expansion plans and oversaw marketing, sales and logistics strategies, contributing to sustainable growth and enhancing the company’s operational performance within the Kingdom.
In terms of governance, Mr. Abu Dawood possesses extensive experience spanning decades, having served on and chaired numerous boards of directors for public-private partnership companies and entities. He also previously served on the Jeddah Municipal Council. Internationally, he has been a member of the board of the Middle East Institute for Social and Economic Policy at Harvard University.
Julie Barbier - Leblanc , co-founder and CEO of Merit Group, said
“The addition of Mohammed Abu Dawood to our group represents a significant milestone in Merit’s journey. As we continue to expand our global infrastructure for engagement from Saudi Arabia, his extensive experience, international partnerships, and board-level leadership will greatly contribute to strengthening our corporate capabilities and driving our long-term strategy.”
As Chairman of the Board, Mr. Abu Dawood will lead the development of governance frameworks, enhance strategic partnerships, and guide mergers and acquisitions activities, supporting the building of a more scalable platform for sustainable global growth.
For his part, Mr. Mohammed Abu Dawood said
“Merit has succeeded in building a distinguished platform in the field of interaction technologies, with a global reach and strong Saudi roots. I am honored to join the company as Chairman of the Board, looking forward to supporting its continued growth, enhancing its corporate maturity, and achieving sustainable long-term value.”
Merit also announced exceptional performance during the current quarter of 2026, achieving growth of more than 100% across its global engagement platforms, reflecting the strength of its market implementation and the scalability of its technical infrastructure, in addition to the growing global demand for innovative loyalty and incentive solutions.
This appointment reflects Merit’s continued evolution as a global, governance-driven, product-led technology company with a high capacity for global expansion, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s growing role as a hub for digital infrastructure and innovation.
About the Merit Group :
Merit is a global company specializing in interaction technologies, enabling organizations to design, manage, and scale loyalty, rewards, and incentive programs across various markets and sectors. Headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, it operates in over 100 countries and collaborates with thousands of global brands to deliver intelligent and scalable interactive solutions.
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Muhammad Abu Daoud and Julie Barbier - LeBlanc
