The people building T57.
The founders, leadership team, board and advisors behind T57, with experience in food trade, food security, technology, finance and governance.
T57 is led by five founders with decades of experience in food trade, technology, product and governance. They are joined by leaders for each market and function, and guided by a board of thirteen advisors.
Founders
Five founders
Afzal works where food security, trade and public policy meet. Over three decades he has built food, trade and enterprise systems across Saudi Arabia, the UAE and India. At T57 he leads strategy and the platform's partnerships with governments, multilateral institutions and development finance partners.
As Founder and Chairman of Al Mukarramah, he led the team that designed the strategy and ecosystem of the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS), and in 2023 he signed a ten-year strategic implementation agreement with the organization. Since then he has signed memoranda of understanding with the Government of the Chechen Republic (2025), the Development Bank of Maldives (2026) and Kazakhstan's Food Contract Corporation (2026). He is also Chairman of AMK Holding, a Riyadh-based multi-family office that aligns patient capital with long-term economic programs.
In Madinah, as Vice President of Namaa Al Munawara, he built the Made in Madinah ecosystem for local producers, which enabled more than 3,000 jobs and trained more than 700 Saudi women. He served as Chief Operating Officer of BMPC, the agribusiness founded by Sheikh Saleh Kamel. Earlier in his career he ran FMCG distribution for global brands in Dubai and hypermarket operations in India.
Afzal speaks on food security, AI and trade finance at LEAP, Money20/20 Middle East, the Gulfood World Economy Summit, KazanForum and the China–Arab States Expo. He holds an MBA in Retail Management and has completed executive programs at Harvard Business School, Stanford and Babson College. He works in English, Arabic, Hindi and Kannada.
Abdul Bari builds and scales enterprise software for global clients. He has overseen SAP, Oracle and related transformation programs for blue-chip organizations, and has led engineering teams delivering high-availability platforms under strict security and compliance requirements. He leads T57's platform, architecture, security and integrations, and its technology team.
Zaid is a digital product expert with more than 8 years in UX and UI, turning complex processes into intuitive, scalable platforms, including for government and food-security projects. He leads T57's product and customer journey.
Muneeb has more than 15 years across infrastructure and food-linked sectors, leading large multi-stakeholder project teams from strategy to execution. He leads corporate communication and relations with stakeholders and partners, and is a member of T57's Saudi Board.
Dr. Karubi has more than 20 years in corporate governance, government relations and strategic advisory, including OPEC advisory and stakeholder engagement across the US, MENA, Africa and Asia. He leads governance and compliance.
Leadership team
Leaders for each market and function
Prof. Baidaulet is the former Director-General of the Islamic Organization for Food Security. An expert in food security, Islamic finance and policy, he drove cross-border agricultural and investment frameworks. He leads IOFS and government relations.
Dr. Mojaddidi is a social-impact leader across healthcare, rural development and food systems. He advises on policy, works with farmers in Saudi Arabia, and leads T57's Saudi market launch.
Noor Azmi is the former CEO of SME Corp Malaysia, a leader in SME development, innovation and venture ecosystems with public-private policy experience. He leads T57's Malaysia launch and ASEAN partnerships.
Mohammed has more than 25 years in sales, technology and global trade. He is a serial entrepreneur who has led food-trade expansion, partnerships and smart-infrastructure projects, and he leads T57's sales teams.
Umme Habeeba has more than 20 years in B2B marketing, brand and demand generation, and previously worked at Wipro. She leads demand generation and launches.
Delivery and functional leads
Two decades in software development and product management across global markets.
More than 15 years designing cloud-native systems in banking, healthcare and telecom, specializing in Microsoft Azure.
More than 18 years in data-led growth across fintech, healthcare and education.
Saudi Board
Board
- Afzal Hussain Mohammed NakheebChairman
Sheikh Salem Mubarak Salem Al-HudaiyanGovernment and strategic relations, Saudi Arabia- Muneeb HanbaliCo-founder and CCO
Muhammad Rashid Al Abdul LatifBoard Member and Head of Strategic Partnerships & Capital
Advisory board
Thirteen advisors
Thirteen advisors guide the founders and leadership in their fields. They are not part of the executive team.
Dr. Saeed Awad M AlqahtaniArtificial intelligenceLinkedInPhysician-scientist and AI engineer bridging healthcare and generative AI, with senior academic roles and government AI initiatives.
Mohammed Ahdel AkramBlockchain and digital assetsInvestment leader at MBS Global, working on capital deployment and projects worldwide in blockchain, digital assets and innovation ecosystems.
Ishrat HakimRevenue strategyLinkedInGlobal sales executive with multi-billion-dollar revenue leadership, including Chief Sales Officer roles at II-VI and OSRAM.
Ajmal ShrafuddinFinance and investmentLinkedInEntrepreneur and investor leading family-office initiatives across MENA in venture capital, M&A and Shariah-compliant investment.
Aboo Baker Mahomed SCLegalSenior Counsel and former Acting Judge, specializing in commercial law, Islamic finance, governance, compliance and legal frameworks.
K NizardeenBanking and trade financeLinkedInMore than 30 years in trade finance and Islamic banking, leading digital transformation and global compliance programs.
Fawaz AbdulnourIslamic financeLinkedInMore than 30 years in Islamic finance and private equity, spanning the Islamic Development Bank, fund structuring and GCC capital.
Dr. Md Abdul RahmanCybersecurity and AIProfessor and chief information security officer, specializing in secure systems, forensic computing and national digital resilience.
Ashmath AliTechnologyLinkedInSAP global strategy leader driving enterprise AI, digital transformation and partner ecosystems across MENA and EMEA.
Rohit AdlakhaTechnologyFormer Chief Digital Information Officer and AI platform head at Wipro, and advisor on ESG and AI-driven transformation.
Vinod HarithMarketingLinkedInMore than 30 years in marketing across IT, FMCG and automotive, founder of CMO Axis and advisor to global start-ups.
Ahmed Zaki KamelAgricultural ecosystemSaudi agri-entrepreneur, founder of AZKA Farms, Basket and Farmers Market, focused on farm-to-market food security.
Anasse El HasnaouiSocio-economic developmentIslamic finance advisor and creator of the 4sa methodology for financial inclusion in emerging markets.
FAQ
Common questions
Who leads T57?
T57 is led by its Founder and Chairman, Afzal Hussain Mohammed Nakheeb, with four co-founders who lead technology, product, communication and governance.
How does T57 work with IOFS?
T57 has a 10-year MoU with IOFS. Its Director General, Strategic Relations, Prof. Yerlan Baidaulet, is the former Director-General of IOFS.
Partnerships, About and Contact
More about T57
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Partnerships
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