Doha Abdelhamid

Member of the Presidential Scientific Council for Egypt's Scientists and Experts, and Principal Advisor to the Chairman of the National Authority for Management and Investment of the Ministry of Defense

Doha Abdelhamid is a member of the Presidential Scientific Council for Egypt's Scientists and Experts, and Principal Advisor to the Chairman of the National Authority for Management and Investment of the Ministry of Defense. She is an international economic expert with 39 years of experience focused on economic policy, financial, fiscal, and development economics & monitoring and evaluation, combining practical and academic experience. She held various political positions, including Senior Advisor for Policies and International Relations, Director of Fiscal Reform Programs, and Development Planning, and Institutional Transformation for several ministers (Finance, Planning and Local Development, Central Agency for Organization and Administration, and the Arab Organization for Industrialization). She has been also engaged in academic work both domestica and international at institutions such as Carleton University in Canada, Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, the University of Exeter in England, the American University in Cairo, Cape Breton University in Canada, the Arab Academy for Science and Technology, and the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa. Doha has served as an advisor to numerous international funding institutions, United Nations organizations, bilateral development partners, and various private and civil sector entities both locally and internationally. Was the first national director of the institutional capacity-building program in performance-based budgeting/development monitoring and evaluation for the state administrative apparatus. Established similar systems for several international institutions, including the International Atomic Energy Agency in its headquarters in Vienna, and the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue in Vienna. Currently, she holds senior international positions, such as Chief Policy Advisor to the Head of the Independent Office of Evaluation Director at the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Rome, and Advisor and International Evaluation Scientist for the Board of the International Academy for Evaluation Sciences (United Kingdom). Has worked as a Senior International Evaluation Peer Reviewer evaluating country program evaluation studies assessing development grant, technical assistance and loan portfolios for the Development Financing Programs of countries worldwide at the United Nations Development Programme (USA). She is a board member of the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation as the first representative from Middle East and North Africa (USA), Vice President of the Media Association for Development and Consumer Protection, and a member of the Egyptian Scientific Society, the African Development Evaluation Association, the African Gender Development Evaluation Network, and the American Evaluation Association. Designed and contributed to the establishment of numerous international networks of experts in the field of evaluating the impacts of development and climate change at both local, regional and international levels. Designed and developed the curricula and training materials for the first regional, multi-lingual professional diploma program for capacity building in monitoring, evaluation, and learning in MENA and worldwide in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme and the National Planning Institute of the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation. Selected as a thought leader in development and evaluation in Africa by the Rockefeller Foundation in Italy, the Institute for Policy Alternatives in Ghana, and the Center for Learning, Evaluation, Accountability, and Research at the Governance School of the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, and followed as distinguished research associate for the latter Center and University. Received numerous international, regional, and national awards and honors in the fields of development, climate change, economic management, investment, international cooperation, development evaluation, and other economic fields. Held positions as the first board member representing the Middle East and North Africa and Egypt in both the International Development Evaluation Association (England) and the International Organization for Cooperation in Evaluation (USA). Additionally, have been a member of the Permanent Economic Committee of the National Council for Women, a member of the Scientific Council for Economic and Management Sciences at the Academy for Scientific Research and Technology, and a regional advisor for the Global Environment Fund (USA). Over 17 years, has taught at several prestigious universities in macro and microeconomics, financial economics, global financial markets, feasibility studies, investment management, project financing, development economics, and monitoring and evaluation of development policies, programs and projects. Has published numerous international books and academic articles in peer-reviewed global journals and others. Serves as an international reviewer for many prestigious international and national scientific journals in the fields of economics, finance, banking, and monitoring and evaluation. Hold a PhD in financial economics focusing on international regulatory competition in open financial markets, a Master's degree in economics with a focus on feasibility studies (cost-benefit analysis for national and private projects; namely free zones), and a Bachelor's degree in economics and computer science from the American University in Cairo. Has also obtained international diplomas specializing in senior management and strategy, investment management, and development monitoring and evaluation. Doha provides various economics- and evaluation-related consulting services to the Presidency and have had the honor of being a speaker five consecutive times at the National Policy Dialogue and a member of the committee drafting recommendations for the President. Has authored numerous books, policy & working papers, opinion pieces, and peer-reviewed academic articles in refereed international journals across various fields, particularly in financial, developmental, institutional economics and evaluation. Fluent in Arabic and English and have a good command of several other languages.