Our staff
- Abdoul Aziz Wane, Director, IMF Regional Office in Riyadh 
Before assuming the role of Director of the IMF Regional Office in Riyadh, Abdoul Aziz served as Assistant Director in the Asia and Pacific Department (APD) of the IMF. In that capacity, he led the division responsible for Australia, New Zealand, and Timor Leste, and held cumulative responsibilities as Mission Chief for Australia and Senior Reviewer for several Pacific Island Countries. In June 2023, Abdoul rejoined the IMF following a one-year sabbatical at the University of Oxford, where he collaborated with Professor Paul Collier on a research project focused on economic fragility and the establishment of a public policy school in Africa. Abdoul’s career with the IMF encompasses a range of roles (Resident Representative, Director of the Training Center, Director of the Technical Assistance Center, Mission Chief, and Division Chief) in different departments (AFR, APD, ICD, FAD, MCD, and SPR). His IMF research focused on growth and convergence, public-private partnerships (PPPs), green investment, governance, and monetary policy. In 2022, he co-edited an IMF book titled "Good Governance in Sub-Saharan Africa: Opportunities and Lessons." Prior to joining the IMF, he was a Senior Lecturer at the University of Dakar, Senegal. Abdoul Aziz holds a Master’s degree in Econometrics from the Toulouse School of Economics and a Doctorate in Economics from the University of Dakar.
- Balazs Csonto, Deputy Director, IMF Regional Office in Riyadh
Balazs Csonto is Deputy Director of the International Monetary Fund Regional Office in Riyadh. Previously, he worked in the African, Strategy, Policy, and Review, and Western Hemisphere departments. He has covered several countries, such as Dominica, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mexico, Somalia, Uganda, and Yemen, as well as worked on several policy issues related to monetary policy, IMF surveillance, and the design of post-GFC IMF programs. His research includes work on monetary policy, capital flows, and the international monetary system. Prior to joining the IMF, he was an economist at the European Investment Bank and ING Bank.
- Abdulaziz Alhomaidi, Office Manager, IMF Regional Office in Riyadh 
Abdulaziz Alhomaidi joined the IMF Regional Office in Riyadh as Office Manager in September 2024. He has over 15 years of diverse experience in international affairs, finance, banking, project management, and strategic planning. His career has included seven years at Saudi Aramco as an Assistant Contract Advisor, six years in retail banking, and leadership roles in both the public and private sectors. As Director of the International Technical Cooperation Department at the Saudi Ministry of Finance, Abdulaziz spearheaded collaborations between global organizations and local entities. He holds a Master’s degree in Finance, specializing in Investment and Islamic Finance, and a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations.
- Ismail Meghfour, Protocol Officer, IMF Regional Office in Riyadh
Ismail Meghfour joined the IMF Regional Office in Riyadh as Protocol Officer in October 2024. Before joining the IMF, Ismail spearheaded the establishment of the first United Nations Tourism Regional Office for the Middle East in Riyadh. In this role, his responsibilities included protocol, procurement, finance, office management, and operational excellence. Additionally, he served as a Program Officer in the UN Tourism’s Innovation, Education, and Investments Department. Previously, he was Digital Products Manager at Piensa Diferente, a product and software development company within Neolabels Group in Madrid. He holds an MSc in Communications and Digital Entrepreneurship from the European University of Madrid and a BSc in International Business Administration with a concentration in Economics from Saint Louis University, Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business. Ismail is multilingual, fluent in Arabic, English, French, and Spanish.
- Wadha Alhamdan, Economic Analyst, IMF Regional Office in Riyadh
Wadha Alhamdan is an Economic Analyst at the International Monetary Fund Regional Office in Riyadh, where she contributes to macroeconomic analysis, regional surveillance, and policy dialogue. She previously worked in the central government of Saudi Arabia, supporting economic and public policy work across macroeconomics, energy, and trade. She holds an MSc in Big Data Science with distinction from Queen Mary University of London.
- Amirah Alahmadi, Program Assistant, IMF Regional Office in Riyadh
Amirah joined the IMF in November 2025. With nearly 12 years of experience across information management, administration, and project management, she has worked in major international organizations such as the World Bank Group and the Islamic Development Bank, in addition to leading private‑sector companies in Saudi Arabia. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science.
- Ghadah Alsufyani, Administrative Assistant, IMF Regional Office in Riyadh
Ghadah Alsufyani joined the IMF Regional Office in Riyadh as an Administrative Assistant in December 2024. Previously, she served as an Administrator at Diverum AB, a leading global provider of dialysis care, and as a Helpdesk Operator and Client Care Representative at MADAR Co. Ghadah holds a Bachelor's degree in English from Princess Nourah University, with second-class honors. She has also earned a Certificate in Leadership Skills and an Executive Mini MBA from Leoron Institute, along with an International Certificate in IT Skills Foundation under the Cambridge International Examination system.
- Meriam El Sghaier, Administrative Assistant, IMF Regional Office in Riyadh
Meriam joined the IMF Regional Office in Riyadh in July 2025. She previously served as Team Assistant at the World Bank Riyadh office and as acting Executive Assistant. Her earlier roles include communications and client management positions in Tunisia. She holds a master’s degree in business communication, an MBA in strategic management, and is pursuing a DBA in communication. She is fluent in Arabic, English, and French.
- Khalid Alhaumaidi, Administrative Assistant, IMF Regional Office in Riyadh
Khalid joined the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2025, bringing over a decade of professional experience across the private sector and international organizations. Prior to joining the IMF, he worked at the World Bank in Riyadh, supporting administrative and operational functions, and worked at the United Nations Headquarters in New York through the Young Professionals Programme (YPP). Khalid holds a Master’s degree in English and has completed extensive leadership and professional development training. He earned a certificate in Diplomatic Economy from UNITAR Training and leadership certification in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution from the Harvard University Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Collaboratory. His additional credentials include leadership programs from Harvard University, the Misk Foundation, and the Arab Youth Center.
- Yousef Hawsah, Driver, IMF Regional Office in Riyadh
Yousef joined the IMF Regional Office in Riyadh as a Driver in December 2024. He previously worked with the United Nations Development Programme, providing transportation and logistical support for senior personnel. Before that, he served as an Office Assistant and Logistics Coordinator at UN‑HABITAT and gained customer service experience at Carrefour. He holds a diploma from a Technical Institute.
- Hais Alshammari, Driver, IMF Regional Office in Riyadh
Hais joined the IMF Regional Office in Riyadh as a Driver in December 2024. He previously worked as a Document Control Centre Officer at Executive Offices, gaining experience in managing critical records and ensuring operational compliance. He also served as a Material Handler at S&K Aerospace, overseeing logistics for aircraft parts and supplies. Hais is a qualified driver and holds a diploma in Aircraft Engineering.
- Massimiliano Iommi, Real Sector Statistics Advisor, IMF Regional Office in Riyadh
Massimiliano joined the IMF Regional Office in Riyadh in October 2025. Prior to this appointment, he served as a senior researcher at the Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat), where he oversaw projects focused on capital formation, balance sheets, and productivity statistics. His previous roles include Senior Economist within the IMF Statistics Department and IMF short-term expert on national accounts. Additionally, he has consulted for organizations such as the European Commission, the European Investment Bank, the OECD, and Egypt’s Ministry of Planning and Economic Development. Massimiliano's main research interest is the measurement of intangible capital in the context of national accounts, contributing to multiple related research initiatives. Massimiliano holds an MSc in Economics from Bocconi University.
- Vakhtang Chalapeikrishvili, Resident Macroeconomic Framework Advisor, IMF Regional Office in Riyadh
Vakhtang joined the IMF in 2025 with over 14 years of experience in macroeconomic modeling, fiscal policy analysis, and medium‑term planning. He previously led the Macroeconomic Analysis and Fiscal Policy Planning Department at Georgia’s Ministry of Finance and held roles at the Parliamentary Budget Office and the Pension Fund. His career has focused on building advanced macro forecasting frameworks and evidence-based decision-making tools for public institutions. He holds a PhD in Economics from Tbilisi State University.
Egypt
Newsletter
