Saudi Arabia nominates former economy minister to lead WTO

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Saudi Arabia nominates former Minister of Economy and Planning Mohammed Al-Tuwaijri as a candidate for the position of Director General at the World Trade Organization (WTO), according to the Saudi Gazette report.

The current head of the WTO Roberto Azevêdo will end his term of office on 31 August 2020.

Shortly after the nomination period closes, candidates will be invited to meet with members at a special WTO’s General Council meeting to present their views and take questions from the members.

In addition to Al-Tuwaijri, who is an adviser at the royal court, six other candidates are from Egypt, Kenya, Mexico, Moldova, Nigeria and South Korea.

In its memorandum to the WTO, Saudi Arabia’s mission to the WTO affirmed the great belief the kingdom places in the multilateral trading system and the organization’s vital role in it.

The mission also stressed that Saudi Arabia realizes the importance of the leading role of the WTO in drafting and enforcing international trading rules, in addition to caring and developing the economy and global trade.

Al-Tuwaijri has a proven record of experiences.

He obtained a Master Degree with honors in Business Administration from King Saud University in 1998 and held many of the leadership positions that enabled him to stand for the post.

He has as a minister of economy and planning, as well as a member of the Cabinet and the Council of Economic and Development Affairs from 2017 to 2020.

He held the post of deputy minister of economy and planning and the secretary-general of the finance committee at royal court from 2016 to 2017, in addition to assuming the position as a deputy chairman of the board of directors of the National Development Fund and chairman of the National Transformation Program.

Al-Tuwaijri also held the post of chairman of the General Authority for Statistics and the chairman of the board of directors of the National Privatization Center in addition to his membership in the board of directors of Aramco and the board of directors of Public Investment Fund.

He worked as the deputy chairman and the CEO of HSBC Bank Middle East and North Africa from 2014 to 2016; regional head of banking Services at HSBC Middle East and North Africa from 2010 to 2014; and the CEO of J.P. Morgan Saudi Arabia from 2007 to 2010.

Reporting by Indonesia Window