Mohammed Hussein Ali Al Amoudi (Arabic: محمد حسين علي العمودي; born 21 July 1946)[1] is an Ethiopian-born Saudi billionaire businessman.
[3] Al Amoudi made his fortune in construction and real estate before branching out to buy oil refineries in Sweden and Morocco.
[2] Al Amoudi owns a broad portfolio of businesses in construction, energy, agriculture, mining, hotels, healthcare and manufacturing amongst others.
[20] His major cement plant near Chancho was backed in part by the World Bank's International Finance Corporation.
[23] The company had reportedly purchased $80 million in equipment from Caterpillar Inc.[25] In August 2011, President Girma Wolde-Giorgis of Ethiopia stated that “a substantial investment in agricultural development was key to improving the quality of life across Africa” and that Saudi Star's investment programme would benefit both Ethiopia and its important trading partner, Saudi Arabia.
[28] In September 2011, in response to an appeal from Prime Minister Meles Zenawi for popular support for the financing of the Renaissance Dam in North West Ethiopia which will triple the country's hydro-electric power, Al Amoudi pledged a donation of 1.5bn birr (around US$88M).
Al Amoudi has committed funds to support healthcare and sport in Saudi Arabia, the US, Europe and Africa.
[40] In 2008, Al Amoudi funded King Saud University's an enhanced oil recovery research chair.
[44] He also supports Ethiopian Premier League Club Saint George S.C.[45] and covered the medical expenses of one of Ethiopia's most celebrated footballers, Mengistu Worku,[46] before his death in December 2010.
[49] The Ethiopian Review had also repeated unwarranted material relating to his family and to matters previously dealt with in the Al Amoudi v. Brisard case of 2005.
The judge found the statements to be untrue and stated that Al Amoudi "is implacably opposed to terrorism in all its forms”.
[2] He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Addis Ababa University and has been honoured with the Order of the Polar Star by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.