Saudi Arabia has granted citizenship to entrepreneur and Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick and John Pagano, chief executive of Red Sea Global, joining a select list of distinguished scientists, innovators, experts, and business leaders who have received the honor.
The royal approval comes as part of the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to attract top global talent in line with the objectives of Vision 2030, which aims to foster an environment that empowers human capital, supports innovation, and strengthens sectors poised to drive economic growth and diversification.
Kalanick and Pagano - both of whom recently embraced Islam - have built accomplished careers in technology, entrepreneurship, and tourism development.
Kalanick is among the world’s most prominent entrepreneurs in the startup sphere, with over 26 years of experience. He co-founded and served as chief executive of Uber Technologies, which grew to a market value of around $150 billion by 2017.
He now serves as chief executive of CloudKitchens, a global leader in delivery-only “ghost kitchens” operating across more than 400 locations worldwide, including the Middle East under the Kitchen Park brand in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE.
Kalanick led a successful $1.25 billion funding round that accelerated the company’s expansion. He also founded 10100 Fund, an investment vehicle focused on real estate, e-commerce, and emerging innovations in China and India.
Pagano, who has four decades of experience in real estate and tourism development, was appointed in 2006 as president of Baha Mar Development Company Ltd., where he oversaw the development of the $3.6 billion Baha Mar Resort in the Bahamas.
He currently leads both The Red Sea and Amaala projects, following the 2022 merger of The Red Sea Development Company and Amaala under Red Sea Global. In 2024, Pagano was named among Forbes Middle East’s “Travel and Tourism Leaders” in recognition of his pivotal role in shaping Saudi Arabia’s emerging luxury tourism sector.
