Dr. Hala H. Elsaid was sworn in as Egypt’s Minister of Planning and Economic Development on December 22, 2019. Prior to this appointment, she served as the Minister of Planning, Monitoring and Administrative Reform between February 2017 and December 2019. Dr. Elsaid who also serves as Chair of Egypt’s Sovereign Wealth Fund is a prominent Economist and Academic Figure, recognized as the Best Arab Minister by the Arab Government Excellence Award in November 2020.
During her tenor, she led the implementation of the National Sustainable Development Strategy (Egypt Vision 2030) in partnership with bilateral and multilateral stakeholders, private sector and civil society in line with the UN Sustainable Development Strategy and the Africa 2063 Agenda. In 2021, Dr. Elsaid initiated the National Structural Reform Program with macro-sectoral reforms focusing on seven priority sectors that are labor intensive and have significant contribution in achieving economic growth and prosperity, supporting the transition to a green and circular economy. As Minister of Planning and Economic Development, she launched several programs for capacity building, gender inclusion and youth empowerment including the Women in Leadership Positions Program, the Leadership for Government Excellence Program and Rowad 2030 which aims to enable youth and support entrepreneurship and job creation.
Dr. Hala El-Said is a prominent female banking figure, serving as a member of the Central Bank's Board of Directors and as the Executive Director of the Egyptian Banking Institute for eight consecutive years. Dr. Elsaid has also held several positions, including Advisor to the Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt, a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Central Bank's Anti-Money Laundering Unit, and a Member of the Board of Directors of the Arab African International Bank.
Dr. ElSaid received her PhD in Economics in 1989 with Highest Honours from the Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University. She was the first elected Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Political Science in 2011 and Cairo University’s Deputy President for Scientific Research and Exterior Relations from 2013 to 2016. Over her efficacious academic journey, her contributions in education, inclusion and youth empowerment pave the way to achieving sustainable development and economic growth.
