Kyriakos Dourekas, the sporting director of Saudi Arabian club Neom SC, has been recognised at the 2025 Mandela Awards in Bari for his work in football across Greece, England and the Middle East.
Dourekas spent more than two decades in senior roles at Olympiacos, helping the club maintain its position at the top of Greek football.
In 2018 he joined Nottingham Forest, where he formed part of the leadership team that guided the club back to the Premier League.
He moved to Neom SC in 2024 to oversee the sporting structure of the newly formed Saudi club, which sits inside the country's major development zone on the Red Sea coast.
While several Saudi clubs have focused on huge transfer spending and marquee signings, Neom has taken a more developmental approach.
Under Dourekas, the club has prioritised younger players with long-term potential, including French starlets Nathan Zeze and Saimon Bouabre.
Recruitment has centred on players who can be developed within the club's system, supported by data-led scouting and a modern academy structure.
Neom exceeded expectations in its first full season and has been viewed as one of the league's more organised projects.
Dourekas' recognition comes at a time when Saudi Arabia continues to expand its investment in football, attracting coaches, executives and players from across Europe.
This year's Mandela Awards featured recipients from a range of fields, including photographer Richard Young, filmmaker Sixx King and Balmoral Group chief executive Dr Ezekiel Adamu.
The sporting award was presented to Dourekas by Joseph Hammond and Taiwo Megoma, who chair the Puglia Creative Economy Forum.
Neom remains at an early stage, but its model and recruitment strategy under Dourekas have set it apart within a league undergoing rapid change.