Craig McAree

Managing Director
30+ years of tax expertise, including extensive experience in KSA
Leads A&M’s KSA Tax practice
Has established and led tax functions in advisory businesses and industry, advised on numerous international and KSA transactions, and worked with government authorities on tax exemptions and other regulatory matters
Riyadh
@alvarezmarsal
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Craig McAree is a Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal Tax in Saudi Arabia. He serves as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Tax practice leader. Craig has more than 30 years of tax experience, the last 12 of those in KSA.

Craig has advised on a significant number of international and KSA transactions, established and led tax functions in a variety of industry contexts, and worked with government authorities on tax exemptions and other regulatory matters. His notable experience includes: providing tax support for KSA and international transactions, including structuring, due diligence, documentation, and implementation; building tax teams by developing organizational structures, policies, and procedures and recruiting and training highly skilled professionals; obtaining tax exemptions, rulings, and clarifications, as well as providing advice on improvements to tax treaties; and leading key global accounts.

Prior to joining A&M, Craig spent more than six years as the Head of Tax at the Public Investment Fund (PIF) in Saudi Arabia, where he built and led the Tax practice. Craig also served as a Tax Partner at EY in Saudi Arabia, where he established and managed the international and transaction tax business across KSA, managed the tax service line in Jeddah, and led transaction tax activities for the Middle East and North Africa region. Previously, Craig also worked as a Tax Partner at EY and as a Tax Partner at Grant Thornton in the UK.

Craig earned a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology. He was previously an Associate of the Taxation Institute (ATI) and an Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

Insights By This Professional

Modern tax audits are rarely arbitrary. Authorities utilize sophisticated systems to analyze taxpayer filings, financial records, and third-party data, particularly in areas such as VAT, corporate income tax, and transfer pricing.
With over 30 years of experience in both Big 4 and industry, Craig McAree leads A&M’s Saudi Tax practice with a clear vision and deep expertise. In this interview, he shares the story behind the launch of our practice, what sets us apart in the market, and his vision for the future growth and direction of A&M Tax.
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