UN Chief appoints Egypt’s Al-Mashat as ESCWA executive secretary

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Rania Al-Mashat of Egypt as Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) on Monday, succeeding Rola Dashti. Mourad Wahba will continue as Acting Executive Secretary until she formally assumes the role.

Al-Mashat previously served as Egypt’s minister across three portfolios between 2018 and 2026, including Tourism, International Cooperation, and Planning, as well as Economic Development and International Cooperation.

She also served as Sub-Governor for Monetary Policy at the Central Bank of Egypt from 2005 to 2016. In addition, she worked at the International Monetary Fund as Advisor to the Chief Economist and Senior Economist during 2001 to 2005 and again from 2016 to 2018.

Al-Mashat has held board and advisory roles at several international financial institutions, including the World Bank Group, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Investment Bank, African Development Bank, and Islamic Development Bank.

She holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a BA from the American University in Cairo. She also completed executive programmes at the Harvard Kennedy School and Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.

Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English