The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has named Khawaja Aftab Ahmed as the Regional Director for the Middle East, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Ahmed will lead the institution’s efforts to help increase private sector participation in the economy to create jobs, address the climate crisis, close the infrastructure gap, foster financial inclusion, and support fragile and conflict-affected situations, said IFC press statement received here.
“I am excited to work closely with Aftab to build up IFC’s operations and impact in this very important, diverse, and promising region,” said Hela Cheikhrouhou, IFC’s Regional Vice President for the Middle East, Central Asia, Turkey, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
“His in-depth knowledge of the region, combined with his expertise across different sectors and products, will be a tremendous asset as IFC ramps up its business in the Middle East, Pakistan and Afghanistan,” Cheikhrouhou added.
Ahmed, a Pakistani national, has 33 years of development banking experience. At IFC, he has held several managerial positions, most recently serving as Global Director of Investment and Credit Risk. Before that, he led IFC’s work with financial institutions and private equity funds in the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe, where he managed a $6 billion portfolio spread across 45 countries. He has deep experience in frontier markets, where he helped to promote innovative financial instruments and Islamic financing tools.
Ahmed holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from Pakistan’s NED University of Engineering and Technology and an MBA in Finance from the Institute of Business Administration in Karachi.—APP
