American entrepreneur and Travis Kalanick, best known as the co-founder and former CEO of Uber, has been granted Saudi citizenship as part of the Kingdom’s drive to attract global talent and expertise.
The royal approval places Kalanick among a select group of scientists, innovators, and business leaders who have received citizenship under a program tied to Saudi Vision 2030. The initiative aims to bring exceptional global talent into the Kingdom to support innovation, investment, and human capital development.
Kalanick, one of the world’s most recognisable tech founders, has spent more than 26 years building and scaling startups. After co-founding Uber — which reached a market valuation of $150 billion during his tenure — he went on to launch CloudKitchens, a global leader in delivery-based commercial kitchens operating in over 400 locations worldwide.
In the Middle East, CloudKitchens runs under the brand KitchenPark, with branches in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE. The company is reportedly preparing for a potential dual listing in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi as early as next year — a move that would mark one of the most high-profile tech listings in the region. Kalanick has also spearheaded a $1.25 billion investment push to accelerate the company’s regional expansion.
Beyond CloudKitchens, Kalanick founded 10100 Fund, which invests in real estate, e-commerce, and emerging innovations in China and India.
The decision to grant Kalanick Saudi citizenship underscores the Kingdom’s ambition to position itself as a magnet for top global entrepreneurs and innovators, aligning with broader efforts to diversify the economy and build new technology and investment ecosystems.
