In the heart of Riyadh’s fast-evolving landscape of innovation and transformation, Philip Morris KSA is making bold strides toward a smoke-free future. At the helm of this journey is Christian Akiki, Managing Director of Philip Morris KSA Trading Company, a global veteran with two decades at the company across nine markets.
“Our North Star has always been science and innovation,” says Akiki. All the company’s major milestones, every launch, every breakthrough, has been grounded in rigorous scientific research. Philip Morris International (PMI) has long championed harm reduction through its flagship smoke-free product, IQOS. The latest evolution, IQOS ILUMA i, introduces category-first innovations such as Pause Mode, touchscreen simplicity, and FlexPuff, a feature allowing
personalized use. These enhancements are a testament to PMI’s unrelenting focus on consumer-centric innovation backed by science.
Philip Morris and science
“Science is the center of everything we do,” Akiki explains. People may not have trusted the research presented by the company in the beginning, but over time, independent studies have supported PMI’s findings. That convergence is building public trust, especially among IQOS users who’ve experienced the difference firsthand. Saudi Arabia plays a central role in PMI’s global smoke-free strategy, aligning with the Kingdom’s own bold transformation under Vision 2030. Akiki sees the parallels clearly.
The country is about change, innovation, and trying new things, so is PMI’s mission. They want to transform “Saudi Arabia into a smoke-free market.”
Akiki explains further that PMI’s mission is being driven by a team that’s not just passionate but also local. About 40% of PMI KSA team is Saudi and truly understand the cultural landscape.
Akiki believes that while innovation and science provide the foundation, collaboration with regulators, consumers, and the media is key to progress.
“There’s a saying in Arabic: one hand cannot clap. We need regulators, the public, and the media as our partners,” he says. “And here in KSA, I’ve seen an open-mindedness that gives me hope. The media isn’t just listening, they’re engaging, asking about the science, and amplifying it. That’s powerful.”
His global experience, from Eastern Europe, Middle East, Europe, and Africa, has taught him that no two markets are alike, and agility is essential. “You can’t copy-paste strategies,” Akiki reflects. Saudi Arabia has its own signature, its own needs, its own way of communicating. Our job is to listen, adapt, and build a strategy that’s made for here.
As Philip Morris continues its transformation, Akiki and his team in Saudi Arabia are proof that progress, when rooted in science and local insight, can indeed spark meaningful change.
For more information, visit pmi.com.
