Mohamed Ibrahim Hafez is a policy expert specializing in foreign direct investment, special economic zones (SEZs), and regionalism within the MENA region. He presently holds the position of policy advisor at the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones in Egypt, having previously worked as a corporate credit analyst at Qatar National Bank. Throughout his career in policy-making and analysis, Mohamed has acquired significant expertise by participating in esteemed international programs at the University of Cambridge in the UK, the European University Institute in Italy, and other local initiatives supported by the Egyptian Presidency.

Mohamed holds a master’s degree in political economy of development from SOAS, University of London as a Chevening Scholar, and another master’s degree in finance from Cairo University.

He aspires to become a preeminent international advisor in the realm of economic development and sustainability in the MENA region. His research as an AsiaGlobal Fellow investigated the geographical, economic, political, and social dimensions of SEZs in the region to see how these elements interact and forge a comprehensive network of economic, political, and social relationships.