{
  "title": "IMF Regional Office in Riyadh",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/en/countries/resrep/ror/regional-office-riyadh",
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  "summary": "The overarching objective of the IMF Regional Office in Riyadh is to support economic policymaking and reforms in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and, more broadly, in the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (MENAP) region.",
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "How it started",
      "content": "- Following a visit to Saudi Arabia in October 2022, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva announced the establishment of an IMF Regional Office in Riyadh.\n- The office officially launched operations in April 2024, marked by a two-day conference co-organized with the Ministry of Finance of Saudi Arabia on Industrial Policy for Diversification."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Objectives",
      "content": "- The overarching objective of the IMF Regional Office in Riyadh is to support economic policymaking and reforms in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and, more broadly, in the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (MENAP) region.\n- Activities include fostering capacity development (CD), facilitating dialogue with policymakers, and engaging with academics, experts, and other stakeholders."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Our staff",
      "content": "- Abdoul Aziz Wane, Director, IMF Regional Office in Riyadh\n  - Previously Assistant Director in the Asia and Pacific Department (APD).\n  - Led the division responsible for Australia, New Zealand, and Timor Leste; Mission Chief for Australia; Senior Reviewer for several Pacific Island Countries.\n  - Rejoined the IMF in June 2023 after a one-year sabbatical at the University of Oxford; collaborated with Professor Paul Collier on economic fragility and public policy school in Africa.\n  - Held roles across AFR, APD, ICD, FAD, MCD, and SPR; research on growth and convergence, PPPs, green investment, governance, and monetary policy.\n  - Co-edited \"Good Governance in Sub-Saharan Africa: Opportunities and Lessons\" (2022).\n  - Master’s degree in Econometrics, Toulouse School of Economics; Doctorate in Economics, University of Dakar.\n- Balazs Csonto, Deputy Director, IMF Regional Office in Riyadh\n  - Previously worked in the African, Strategy, Policy, and Review, and Western Hemisphere departments.\n  - Covered Dominica, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mexico, Somalia, Uganda, and Yemen.\n  - Research on monetary policy, capital flows, and the international monetary system.\n  - Prior roles at the European Investment Bank and ING Bank.\n- Abdulaziz Alhomaidi, Office Manager\n  - Joined in September 2024.\n  - Over 15 years’ experience in international affairs, finance, banking, project management, and strategic planning.\n  - Seven years at Saudi Aramco as Assistant Contract Advisor; six years in retail banking.\n  - Former Director of the International Technical Cooperation Department at the Saudi Ministry of Finance.\n  - Master’s degree in Finance (Investment and Islamic Finance); Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations.\n- Ismail Meghfour, Protocol Officer\n  - Joined in October 2024.\n  - Led establishment of the first United Nations Tourism Regional Office for the Middle East in Riyadh.\n  - Former Program Officer in UN Tourism’s Innovation, Education, and Investments Department; former Digital Products Manager at Piensa Diferente.\n  - MSc in Communications and Digital Entrepreneurship, European University of Madrid; BSc in International Business Administration with concentration in Economics, Saint Louis University.\n  - Fluent in Arabic, English, French, and Spanish.\n- Wadha Alhamdan, Economic Analyst\n  - Contributes to macroeconomic analysis, regional surveillance, and policy dialogue.\n  - Previously worked in the central government of Saudi Arabia on macroeconomics, energy, and trade.\n  - MSc in Big Data Science with distinction, Queen Mary University of London.\n- Tariq Fallatah, IT Administrator\n  - Joined in August 2026.\n  - Previously Information Technology Support Specialist at Megamind (Saudi German Hospital).\n  - Experience in system administration, technical support, infrastructure management, and digital transformation.\n  - Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Rockford University.\n- Amirah Alahmadi, Program Assistant\n  - Joined in November 2025.\n  - Nearly 12 years’ experience in information management, administration, and project management.\n  - Worked at the World Bank Group and the Islamic Development Bank.\n  - Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science.\n- Ghadah Alsufyani, Administrative Assistant\n  - Joined in December 2024.\n  - Former Administrator at Diverum AB; Helpdesk Operator and Client Care Representative at MADAR Co.\n  - Bachelor's degree in English from Princess Nourah University, second-class honors.\n  - Certificate in Leadership Skills; Executive Mini MBA from Leoron Institute; International Certificate in IT Skills Foundation (Cambridge).\n- Meriam El Sghaier, Administrative Assistant\n  - Joined in July 2025.\n  - Former Team Assistant at the World Bank Riyadh office; communications and client management roles in Tunisia.\n  - Master’s degree in business communication; MBA in strategic management; pursuing a DBA in communication.\n  - Fluent in Arabic, English, and French.\n- Khalid Alhaumaidi, Administrative Assistant\n  - Joined the IMF in 2025.\n  - Over a decade of experience across the private sector and international organizations.\n  - Prior roles at the World Bank in Riyadh and the United Nations Headquarters in New York through the Young Professionals Programme (YPP).\n  - Master’s degree in English; certificate in Diplomatic Economy from UNITAR; leadership and negotiation certifications from Harvard University and others.\n- Yousef Hawsah, Driver\n  - Joined in December 2024.\n  - Previously with the United Nations Development Programme, UN‑HABITAT, and Carrefour.\n  - Holds a diploma from a Technical Institute.\n- Hais Alshammari, Driver\n  - Joined in December 2024.\n  - Former Document Control Centre Officer at Executive Offices; Material Handler at S&K Aerospace.\n  - Qualified driver; diploma in Aircraft Engineering.\n- Massimiliano Iommi, Real Sector Statistics Advisor\n  - Joined in October 2025.\n  - Former senior researcher at the Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat).\n  - Prior roles as Senior Economist within the IMF Statistics Department and IMF short-term expert on national accounts.\n  - Consultant for the European Commission, the European Investment Bank, the OECD, and Egypt’s Ministry of Planning and Economic Development.\n  - Research focus on measurement of intangible capital in national accounts.\n  - MSc in Economics from Bocconi University.\n- Vakhtang Chalapeikrishvili, Resident Macroeconomic Framework Advisor\n  - Joined the IMF in 2025 with over 14 years of experience.\n  - Former head of the Macroeconomic Analysis and Fiscal Policy Planning Department at Georgia’s Ministry of Finance; roles at the Parliamentary Budget Office and the Pension Fund.\n  - Focus on macroeconomic modeling, fiscal policy analysis, and medium‑term planning.\n  - PhD in Economics from Tbilisi State University."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Address",
      "content": "- Kingdom Tower, 2239 Al Urubah Rd, 9597 Al Olaya District, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"
    },
    {
      "heading": "Job Opportunities",
      "content": "- Receptionist"
    },
    {
      "heading": "News and Events",
      "content": "- Listed regional coverage includes countries in the Middle East and North Africa: Algeria, Kingdom of Bahrain, Djibouti, Arab Republic of Egypt, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, West Bank and Gaza, Republic of Yemen.\n- Resident Representative Offices in the Region: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, West Bank and Gaza, Yemen.\n- Capacity Development centers referenced: The Caucasus, Central Asia, and Mongolia Regional Capacity Development Center (CCAMTAC); The Middle East Regional Technical Assistance Center (METAC); Center for Economics and Finance (CEF)."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Videos (selected dates)",
      "content": "- War in the Middle East: Economic Spillovers and Policy Challenges — April 22, 2026\n- Press Briefing: Regional Economic Outlook for the Middle East and Central Asia, April 2026 — April 16, 2026\n- MENA Economies Navigating War: Managing Shocks and Shaping the Future — April 14, 2026\n- Press Briefing: Middle East and Central Asia, October 2025 (Dubai) — November 5, 2025"
    },
    {
      "heading": "Publications (listed)",
      "content": "- World Economic Outlook — Latest Issue\n- Global Financial Stability Report\n- Fiscal Monitor\n- Regional Economic Outlook\n- Annual Report of the Executive Board"
    }
  ],
  "bullets": [
    "Following a visit to Saudi Arabia in October 2022, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva announced the establishment of an IMF Regional Office in Riyadh.",
    "The office officially launched operations in April 2024, marked by a two-day conference co-organized with the Ministry of Finance of Saudi Arabia on Industrial Policy for Diversification.",
    "The overarching objective of the IMF Regional Office in Riyadh is to support economic policymaking and reforms in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and, more broadly, in the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (MENAP) region.",
    "Activities include fostering capacity development (CD), facilitating dialogue with policymakers, and engaging with academics, experts, and other stakeholders.",
    "Abdoul Aziz Wane, Director, IMF Regional Office in Riyadh",
    "Balazs Csonto, Deputy Director, IMF Regional Office in Riyadh",
    "Abdulaziz Alhomaidi, Office Manager",
    "Ismail Meghfour, Protocol Officer",
    "Wadha Alhamdan, Economic Analyst",
    "Tariq Fallatah, IT Administrator",
    "Amirah Alahmadi, Program Assistant",
    "Ghadah Alsufyani, Administrative Assistant",
    "Meriam El Sghaier, Administrative Assistant",
    "Khalid Alhaumaidi, Administrative Assistant",
    "Yousef Hawsah, Driver",
    "Hais Alshammari, Driver",
    "Massimiliano Iommi, Real Sector Statistics Advisor",
    "Vakhtang Chalapeikrishvili, Resident Macroeconomic Framework Advisor",
    "Kingdom Tower, 2239 Al Urubah Rd, 9597 Al Olaya District, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia",
    "Receptionist",
    "Listed regional coverage includes countries in the Middle East and North Africa: Algeria, Kingdom of Bahrain, Djibouti, Arab Republic of Egypt, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, West Bank and Gaza, Republic of Yemen.",
    "Resident Representative Offices in the Region: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, West Bank and Gaza, Yemen.",
    "Capacity Development centers referenced: The Caucasus, Central Asia, and Mongolia Regional Capacity Development Center (CCAMTAC); The Middle East Regional Technical Assistance Center (METAC); Center for Economics and Finance (CEF).",
    "War in the Middle East: Economic Spillovers and Policy Challenges — April 22, 2026",
    "Press Briefing: Regional Economic Outlook for the Middle East and Central Asia, April 2026 — April 16, 2026",
    "MENA Economies Navigating War: Managing Shocks and Shaping the Future — April 14, 2026",
    "Press Briefing: Middle East and Central Asia, October 2025 (Dubai) — November 5, 2025",
    "World Economic Outlook — Latest Issue",
    "Global Financial Stability Report",
    "Fiscal Monitor",
    "Regional Economic Outlook",
    "Annual Report of the Executive Board",
    "**Regional Office in Riyadh**"
  ],
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