H.E. Dr. Abdulhamid Alkhalifa
Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the OPEC Fund
Dr. Abdulhamid Alkhalifa was elected Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the OPEC Fund for International Development in June 2018 and was named President in early 2024. During his tenure, he has successfully raised the profile and impact of the OPEC Fund via a series of ambitious initiatives: upgrading the Fund’s Infrastructure, launching an annual Development Forum, securing an AA+ Outlook Stable credit rating.
Dr. Alkhalifa is a results-driven leader and is particularly well-known among development partners and fellow members of the Arab Coordination Group (ACG). In September 2022, the OPEC Fund launched its pioneering Climate Action Plan, which was followed in November 2022 by the ACG pledge to spend US$24 billion on climate financing by 2030. This work is driven by his belief in a just and equitable energy transition that leaves no one behind.
Previously, Dr. Alkhalifa was Advisor to the Secretary General of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) from 2010 to 2014, before becoming Deputy Secretary General from 2014 to 2018, where he diversified investments to substantially enhance returns.
A passionate advocate of private-sector led growth, Dr. Alkhalifa has also held a number of leadership positions at the World Bank Group, where among others he served as Alternate Director responsible for initiatives at the International Finance Corporation, the World Bank’s private sector arm.
Dr. Alkhalifa holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Miami, Florida, and a Master’s in Applied Economics from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, USA.