Fares Akkad currently serves as the Managing Director for Meta across the Middle East and Africa, where he leads the company’s business operations, policy engagement, and P&L performance across the region. In this capacity, he is the primary representative for Meta with heads of state, ministers, regulators, and strategic partners, ensuring commercial growth while navigating complex geopolitical and regulatory dynamics.
In addition to this role, Fares also leads Meta’s Messaging and Enterprise business across EMEA. Wearing this second hat, he is responsible for setting and executing the go-to-market strategy, building out the ecosystem of partners and Business Solution Providers (BSPs), feeding insights back into product development, collaborating on pricing and marketing strategy, and ensuring end-to-end commercial performance.
Fares has been recognized by Forbes magazine as one of the Top Executives in the Middle East for four consecutive years, a testament to his enduring impact, business foresight, and leadership excellence in a rapidly transforming region.
Prior to Meta, Fares served as Director for Media Partnerships, where he managed Meta’s investments and operational strategy across Growth Markets (APAC, LATAM, MEA). Earlier roles include leading digital development and distribution at MBC Group, where he scaled Shahid into the world’s largest Arabic-language VOD platform, and a decade in elite strategy consulting at BCG, KPMG, and Booz Allen Hamilton.
A serial entrepreneur and innovation ecosystem leader, he actively supports startups and venture capital initiatives across the region.
Fares serves on several boards and advisory bodies, and holds an undergraduate degree in Biotechnology (Cum Laude), a Master’s in Information Systems (Cum Laude), and an MBA with Highest Distinction. He is fluent in English, Arabic, Spanish, and Portuguese and lives in Dubai with his wife and two children.
