Merza Hasan

Senior Advisor, Arab Fund for Economic & Social Development (AFESD)

Dr. Merza H. Hasan is a high-ranking executive with a renowned track record in various international and multicultural settings, boasting over 40 years of experience in both the public and private sectors, as well as in academia and industry. A commitment to intellectual depth, accountability, and governance marks his career. His professional journey has seen him at the forefront of advancing sustainable development, international policy collaboration, private sector growth, and the mobilization of financial resources. Dr. Hasan's areas of expertise are wide-ranging, encompassing economic strategies, business decision-making, the impact of cultural values on social, political, and public sector reforms, and human capital development. Before his tenure at the World Bank Group as the Dean of the Board of Executive Directors, Dr. Hasan accumulated a wealth of experience in various industrial and academic roles. His notable positions include being the State Under Secretary of the Industrial Sector and Director of the Public Authority for Industry in Kuwait. In academia, he held multiple positions, including Dean of the College of Business Administration at Kuwait University, and served as the Cultural Counselor of the Kuwait Embassy in Washington. Dr. Hasan is a Senior Advisor for the Arab Fund for Economic & Social Development and a Senior Fellow at the Environmental and Energy Management Institute at George Washington University. Hasan obtained his Ph.D. in Management Science from Imperial College London. He has played significant academic roles and served on various committees at Kuwait University. Dr. Hasan has been instrumental in securing substantial funding for initiatives like the World Bank Group's Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi) and the Middle East Venture Capital Fund. He has actively participated in and led conferences on business decision-making and technology, economic reforms, privatization, and human capital. Additionally, he is a prolific author, with numerous articles published in esteemed journals on topics such as economics, change management, and public sector reforms.