We are pleased to announce that Sue Donoghue, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Saudi Arabia, has been elected Chair of ECCKSA by the Board of Directors for 2026-2028.

Involved in the earliest discussions that led to the creation of ECCKSA in May 2024, Sue is a founding member of the Chamber and served as Vice Chair for two years before taking on this new role. Based in Saudi Arabia since 2017, she brings a deep understanding of the local ecosystem, overseeing operations across the region. Her role in logistics puts her in contact with the full breadth of the region’s economic sectors, a valuable asset in bringing a cross-sectoral perspective to ECCKSA members’ priorities.

1. You were among those who, back in early 2023, drove the first discussions behind the creation of ECCKSA. Today, the Chamber has grown, prospered and moved forward, with several active sectoral committees and recognition on both the European and Saudi sides. How does your experience as a founding member, then as Vice Chair, shape your vision for the Chamber today?
   
   

Being part of ECCKSA since its earliest days gives me a real sense of how far we have come. What started as an initiative co-funded and initiated with the support of the European Commission, taken forward by a group of like-minded business leaders, is now a recognised platform bringing together leading European companies whose operations employ more than 25,000 people across the Kingdom.

That origin still shapes who we are today. We remain closely aligned with the European Commission’s priorities in the region, and we continue to work hand in hand with the EU Delegation and its Trade Section on a near daily basis. Through our affiliation with the EBO Worldwide Network (EBOWN), the network of European Business Organisations worldwide, we are also anchored in a much wider “Team Europe” ecosystem, which allows local priorities in Saudi Arabia to feed into broader European ones, and vice versa.

My time as Vice Chair gave me a close view of how the Chamber operates day to day, from the growth of our sectoral committees and diversification of our activities to the trust we have built with Saudi and European stakeholders alike. That experience shapes my priorities as Chair: I want to build on these strong foundations, keep the Chamber firmly member-led, and ensure ECCKSA continues to deliver practical value as it moves from its founding phase into one of sustained growth.

1. Based in Saudi Arabia since 2017, you are in contact with a very wide range of industries. How will this cross-sectoral outlook shape your priorities as Chair?
   
   

Logistics sits at the crossroads of almost every industry, so I have had the opportunity to see first-hand how sectors such as energy, transport, healthcare and construction connect and depend on one another within the Kingdom’s transformation.

That perspective will be central to how I approach the role. Our sectoral committees and working groups, in Transport & Logistics, Energy, Healthcare and Legal & Taxation, have each built real momentum. We are also looking to broaden this offering to reflect where our members’ interests are heading next. Europe’s industrial base is broad and deep, and I believe ECCKSA should reflect that breadth in full, with every sector that matters to our members having a proper seat within the Chamber. Given my own background, launching a dedicated Logistics committee is a natural priority, alongside new committees in Banking & Financial Services, Construction, HR & Talent, and Digital & AI. Together, these will allow ECCKSA to speak on the sectors shaping the next phase of Saudi Arabia’s transformation.

1. What message would you like to share with the business community as your mandate begins, and how do you intend to draw on your knowledge of the Saudi market to strengthen engagement in the months ahead?
   
   

My message to our members, and to every European company operating in this market, is one of continuity and ambition. ECCKSA was built on a shared commitment to Vision 2030 and to deepening European-Saudi economic ties, and that commitment remains as strong as ever.

Having worked in the Kingdom since 2017, I have seen how quickly this market moves and how much is at stake in the EU-Saudi relationship. Saudi Arabia is the EU’s largest trading partner in the Gulf, bilateral trade reached €88.8 billion last year, and the EU remains the leading source of foreign investment into the Kingdom, with more than 2,500 European companies already active here. 

That is precisely what ECCKSA offers: direct access to Saudi authorities and European institutions, a genuine voice in shaping policy through our sectoral committees, and a front-row position at defining moments such as the upcoming EU-GCC Business Forum in Riyadh. Very simply, this is the platform bringing European companies together at the heart of the EU-Saudi relationship. I would encourage every European company not yet part of the Chamber, to join us, bring their priorities to the table, and help shape what this next chapter of ECCKSA looks like.

Before closing, I would like to express my sincere thanks to a number of people without whom this moment would not be possible. My thanks go to H.E. Christophe Farnaud, EU Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and to H.E. Luigi Di Maio, EU Special Representative for the Gulf region, for their continued support and engagement with ECCKSA. I would also like to thank the teams at the EU Delegation in Saudi Arabia, especially Timo Hammaren, Minister-Counsellor and Head of the Trade Section, whose work day to day has been instrumental to the Chamber’s development, as well as our Saudi institutional partners, starting with the Ministry of Investment (MISA), among others, for their trust and collaboration.

My thanks also go to the members of ECCKSA who voted for the current Board, and to the Board itself for placing their confidence in me as Chair. Finally, I would like to pay tribute to Lorcan Tyrrell, who remains part of our Board of Directors, for his two years of dedicated leadership and for laying such solid foundations for the Chamber’s next chapter.