Client

Soudah Development is a closed joint-stock real estate development company owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), launched by HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Its mandate is to develop a luxury mountain tourism destination located 3,015 metres above sea level on Saudi Arabia’s highest peak—positioning it as one of the Kingdom’s most distinctive and ambitious Vision 2030 projects.

Goal

Soudah Development sought a comprehensive and independent evaluation of its performance management system across all five core capabilities: Strategic Planning, Performance Measurement, Performance Improvement, Performance Culture, and Employee Performance Management.

The objective was to obtain a rigorous, evidence-based understanding of the organization’s current maturity level and to translate these insights into a structured, actionable roadmap—embedding performance excellence as a foundational institutional discipline from the outset.

Story

The GPA Unit conducted an Integrated Performance Management System Maturity Assessment of Soudah Development across all five capabilities.

The findings highlighted an organisation with strong foundations and clear areas of strength. Performance Measurement emerged as the most mature capability, supported by a well-structured KPI selection framework aligned with strategic objectives, standardized and reliable data collection practices, a formal governance structure with clearly defined accountability, and strong employee awareness of performance processes.

Strategic Planning also demonstrated notable maturity, reflecting a forward-looking organizational identity actively embedded in operations. This included a well-defined Strategy House linking corporate objectives to KPIs, a formalized strategy review process, and comprehensive governance across strategy formulation, cascading, and communication.

Building on these insights, the GPA Unit delivered a prioritized improvement roadmap across all five capabilities—equipping leadership with both a clear view of the current state and a practical path toward higher maturity.

Following the assessment, Soudah Development received multiple nominations at the 2025 Performance Excellence Forum & Awards Gala across Strategic Planning, Performance Improvement, and Performance Culture. The organization also contributed to the broader performance community by sharing best practices in Employee Performance Management and Performance Culture at the event.

Key Numbers

5 

capabilities assessed

6 

award nominations at the 2025 Performance Excellence Forum & Awards Gala

Client & Expert Feedback

“Soudah is building something genuinely rare — a destination with no precedent in the region. It makes sense that the performance management system has to match that ambition. The assessment showed they're already on the right track.”
— Adrian Brudan, General Manager, Global Performance Audit Unit

Key Lessons

1. Building from strength is a strategy
   Soudah’s assessment demonstrates that even in relatively young organizations, pockets of maturity can already exist. Identifying and leveraging these strengths is as important as addressing gaps—because they form the foundation for scaling performance excellence across the organisation.
2. The roadmap must be owned, not applied
   While the GPA Unit provides direction through its recommendations, sustainable improvement depends on how the organisation internalizes and adapts them. Soudah’s approach—personalizing and embedding the roadmap rather than implementing it mechanically—illustrates what makes transformation effective and lasting.