Andrew Perrier brings over 30 years of international business experience to his role as Group Business Development Director at Al Musbah Group, a Saudi Arabian company founded in 1973. Having worked at both startups and large companies like Canon and Philips, as well as privately owned businesses in New Zealand, one lesson from his early days still guides his decisions: he emphasizes “People do business with people they like and trust. Regardless of industry, geography, or scale, relationships remain the foundation of sustainable commercial success.”
Early Career Lessons
Early in his career, he learned that business development is not about simply presenting a proposal and hoping for the best. It is about understanding the psychology of decision-making, asking thoughtful open-ended questions, and investing time in building genuine relationships.
Today, he observes, many professionals chase shortcuts, sending quotations quickly, automating outreach, or relying purely on brand positioning, but the fundamentals still matter: listening carefully, understanding customer priorities, and aligning long-term value rather than short-term gain. There has to be a business case for someone to buy, they won’t buy just because you want them to. That early lesson continues to guide his approach at Al Musbah Group, whether negotiating airport concessions, technology partnerships, or real estate opportunities: build trust first, and the commercial outcomes will follow.
Path to Al Musbah Group
He joined Al Musbah Group in 2013, after working closely with the Group’s car parking business, Mawgif, for several years as both a supplier and partner, having exited a previous business following an IPO and spent considerable time in the Middle East. What attracted him most was the entrepreneurial energy combined with the stability of a respected family business. `
Al Musbah is deeply rooted in Saudi Arabia’s commercial history, yet forward-looking in its ambition. His role initially focused on growing Mawgif across Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC, during which he secured car park contracts with all the international airports in the UAE, including Dubai International Airport, the World’s busiest airport as well as strategic clients in Saudi Arabia., before evolving into a broader Group Business Development role spanning real estate, retail, food and beverage, hotel management, and international partnerships.
With more than 30 years of experience, Saudi Arabia’s transformation under Vision 2030 presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity, making the role both professionally and personally fulfilling in a family business that treats people as long-term partners., in 2019 he was the founding Chairman for the New Zealand Business Council in Dubai, established as a business network for Kiwi’s in the Emirates as well to promote trade and business between New Zealand and the Emirates.
Today Andrew is an active member of the New Zealand Middle East Business Council based in Auckland to promote business and Trade between New Zealand and the GCC region. He has just completed his term as Chair of the World Business Partner Programme which is the aviation industry vendor network with nearly 900 global members for the Airport Council International (ACI), the largest lobby group for airports worldwide
Unifying Diverse Businesses
At first glance, the portfolio appears diverse, including perfumes, travel retail, food and beverage, parking technology, hotels, and other sectors as well as including non-aeronautical revenue and customer journey optimization, particularly within and around transport hubs.
Almusbah Founder and Chairman established early partnerships with Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector in the 1980s, pioneering airport commercial development and dominating non-aeronautical concessions by introducing global brands. Their parking technology and operations business, Mawgif, now operates in more than 11 cities across Saudi Arabia through a Design–Finance-Build-Operate-Transfer (DFBOT) Public Partnership model, investing in structured paid parking, enforcement and urban development where none existed previously to reduce congestion, improve urban flow, and enhance retail ecosystems.
Strategically, all their businesses focus on maximizing footfall value, whether through retail, F&B, or mobility solutions, with the common thread being operational excellence, technology innovation and integration, and long-term partnerships.
Selecting Opportunities
As Group Business Development Director for more than 13 years, he rigorously filters opportunities against strategic fit, long-term scalability, operational capability, risk exposure, and cultural alignment. As a family-owned business, they do not pursue trends for short-term gains. Instead, they prioritize businesses that can create enduring value. Knowing when to decline is key: “Not every attractive financial projection aligns with these objectives.” Business development is “as much about discipline as it is about ambition,” protecting focus to lead rather than participate.
Enduring Airport Retail Edge
Al Musbah was an early player in airport retail. “Competition is healthy,” and their advantage is flexibility as a privately owned Saudi family business with decades of airport heritage, allowing quick decisions without public-entity constraints. Long-standing relationships with aviation authorities from the 1980s provide deep knowledge, as during COVID-19, when they accelerated e-commerce in line with their “long-term omnichannel strategy.” Combining “local insight with international partnerships” and investing in challenges keeps them relevant.
New Market Indicators
Their typical entry point into a new country is through airport operations and resilient 24/7 ecosystems. Signals include regulatory stability, infrastructure investment pipelines, Foreign Exchange stability and pegging, and government alignment with private-sector participation, especially in modernizing transport and urban mobility. Phased expansion builds knowledge, favoring long-term partnerships over transactional engagements, with government commitment to reform, transparency, and infrastructure serving as true indicators.
Top Innovation Excitement
For Andrew, The integration of smart parking technology with data analytics is particularly exciting, enabling predictive parking management, dynamic pricing, and real-time systems against urban congestion.
In retail, personalization through digital platforms tailors offerings, with mobility data, AI, and digital payment systems transforming sectors. Technology is not about replacing human service, but enhancing operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
“Investments in smart infrastructure today will define the competitiveness of cities and airports tomorrow”.
Tradition Meets Growth
Family businesses thrive when tradition and innovation coexist. At Al Musbah Group, heritage provides stability, values, and long-term vision. Professional management
ensures governance, accountability, and strategic execution.
The key is alignment. Modern growth initiatives, whether in technology or international partnerships, are evaluated against core family principles: integrity, long-term commitment, and stakeholder responsibility.
When tradition provides the foundation and professionalism drives execution, bold growth becomes sustainable rather than speculative.
A Key Lesson from Failure
Not every opportunity delivers as expected. An early expansion underestimated operational complexity in a new market, teaching that due diligence must extend beyond financial modeling into operational realities and local partnerships are critical.
As a leader, he learned the importance of transparent communication when initiatives underperform. Challenges, when handled responsibly, strengthen organizational resilience and sharpen strategic judgment.
Regional Leadership Approach
Consistency in communication across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Jordan requires clarity, cultural awareness, and regular engagement, where he prioritizes face-to-face over online calls: as he says, “We don’t run a telemarketing business, you need to be on the ground pressing the flesh.”
Listening is equally important. Teams perform best when they feel heard and trusted. Establishing accountability without micromanagement has helped foster autonomy while maintaining performance standards.
Five-Year Vision
In five years, Al Musbah Group will be globally recognized as a leading Middle Eastern investment group, known for operational excellence in mobility, travel retail, hotels, real estate development, and urban infrastructure, and for sustainable partnerships that contribute meaningfully to the modernization of cities, aligned with Vision 2030 as well as family investment offices in Saudi Arabia and UAE to look at incubation investments for the “next big thing”
Overlooked Perspective
“Sustainable business growth requires patience. In a world driven by rapid scaling and immediate results, long-term stakeholder value creation is sometimes overlooked. True growth is built on relationships, reputation, and consistent execution over time. Shortcuts rarely build legacy.”
Final Thoughts
Al Musbah Group’s founding in 1973 reflects over five decades of adaptation and growth. As Saudi Arabia evolves, they remain committed to investing in people, technology, and partnerships that create lasting impact.
The craft of business development seems to be lost. The process of prospecting, asking open questions, face-to-face meetings, proposals that detail the current situation, objectives, and reinforce value has been lost to online quotes and hope. He sees it with companies he looks to do business with.
Personally, beyond business, he values mentoring young professionals, travel, food, and grape beverage exploration, and golf for some time out, all of which provide perspective and balance in leadership.
