Minister / Hala Al-Saeed

Dr. Hala El-Said is the Arab Republic of Egypt’s (ARE) Minister of Planning and Economic Development. Prior to that, she was the Minister of Planning, Monitoring, and Administrative Reform from February 2017 to December 2019.

Her cabinet appointments are preceded by a distinguished career in academia spanning almost 30 years; first as a Professor of Economics, followed by her position as the Dean of Cairo University’s Faculty of Economics and Political Science (FEPS). Stemming from her firm belief in the power of youth, and among her numerous academic milestones, Dr. Hala initiated and co-founded a number of initiatives across campus, helping students bridge the gap between university level learning theory and real world practical skills.

Her career in the banking and financial sectors boasts a lengthy track record, which includes serving as a board member of the Central Bank of Egypt. Previously, Dr. Hala was the Executive Director of the Egyptian Banking Institute (EBI) for eight years. During her time there, she managed to implement a unique vision that resulted in the establishment of Egypt’s most distinguished financial training institution, applying international best practices to develop the technical and managerial skills of financial sector professionals across Egypt and the region. Her efforts at the helm of the EBI were fully recognized when it became Egypt’s first ACCET accredited banking and financial training institute in Egypt and the region.

She is also a renowned author of a wide range of internationally acclaimed research papers, studies and reports on a wide range of diverse topics related to the financial sector, international finance, privatization, economic reform, banking sector M&As, SME access to finance, and corporate governance. Dr. Hala is considered an iconic figure in Egypt and the regions’ economic and financial circles, widely recognized for her efforts to promote financial inclusion and education.