Our Team in Saudi Arabia

Jocelyn holds more than 25 years of experience in development and multilateral affairs with UN agencies and Intergovernmental organizations, leading the development of strategic partnerships and coordinating programmes.

He joined UNFPA in 2013 as Regional Strategic Partnership and Resource Mobilization Adviser for the West and Central Africa region. In this capacity, he led the development and implementation of the regional resource mobilization plans and supported the region in achieving its objectives. Since 2021, he has held management positions as Representative in Sierra Leone and in Guinea Bissau, where he joins us from today.

Prior to UNFPA, he worked with the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in different capacities and spearheaded interagency collaborations. As initiator and manager of the Antwerp International Training Center on Corporate Social Responsibility, he has promoted the principles of the Global Compact with private sector networks and professional organizations in different industry sectors; as Chief of partnerships for the Institute he has led a change management process to streamline and develop partners’ engagement; and as coordinator of capacity development programmes he has managed cross-cutting programmes dealing with international environmental conventions, environmental information system, decentralized south-south cooperation, UN operational satellite services and geographic information systems, and human development in complex areas.

With a background in physics of the environment, Jocelyn started his career as a junior professional with the European Space Agency.

He is married and has four children.

Adel Darwish serves as Director of the ITU Regional Office for Arab States, covering 22 Arab countries. He has more than 20 years’ experience in the field of telecommunications, spanning incumbent operator, startup operator, and regulator. In his different roles, Mr Darwish has been involved with international relations, including ICANN, GSMA, the GCC Council, the League of Arab States, Arab Regulatory Network (AREGNET), and SAMENA Council.

Ahmed joined the United Nations with WFP in February 2021, leading the Programme’s Private Sector Partnerships and Fundraising efforts across the Southern Africa region from the Regional Bureau in Johannesburg. In October 2022, he transitioned to the key role of Government Partnerships Officer for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to help advance WFP’s relationship with the Kingdom. Over the last two years he has strengthened engagement with the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), the Kingdom’s mandated foreign aid arm, and successfully secured USD120 million+ of contribution agreements, while increasing leadership level engagement between WFP and the Saudi Government.

Bringing in more than 20 years of senior executive experience in Public & Government Affairs and Business Development, Ahmed has worked for leading multinational corporations including BP, The Dow Chemical Company and Occidental Petroleum Corporation across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and South Asia regions. His tenure includes commercial work in the aviation fuels business with Air BP as Iraq Country Manager, leading cross-functional teams on several regional projects, and served as Board member of the Air BP joint venture company. He has extensive experience engaging with the private and public sectors, diplomatic corps, and senior government offices, particularly in the Arabian Gulf region, having resided in the UAE for many years.

Originally half Danish and half Iraqi, Ahmed was born and raised in Baghdad, and moved to Copenhagen and London for his primary years, completing his education in the UK with a BA (Hons) in Arabic and Management from SOAS (University of London).

Mr. Younes was appointed as the head of the UNODC office in Riyadh and as the international coordinator of the Interregional Center of Excellence for Drug Control, Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice on January 1, 2024.

Previously he served for two years as a legal officer in the Counter-Terrorism executive Directorate (CTED) of the United Nations Security Council, covering North East Asia, the Pacific and Canada.

From 2014 to 2021 he worked for the Terrorism Prevention Branch of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as a Terrorism Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer in Vienna and as a Terrorism Prevention Regional Adviser for the Middle East and North Africa (ROMENA) and Regional Offices for the Gulf Corporation Council Region (OGCCR) (2021)

From 2010 to 2014 he served as a Legal Officer in the International Special Tribunal for Lebanon in the Netherlands.

From 2001 to 2010, he held several judicial positions in the Lebanese judiciary and also served as the Special Assistant to the Director General of the Ministry of Justice in Lebanon. He holds a postgraduate academic degree in law from the Judicial Studies Institute and the Lebanese University in Beirut, and in European and International Security from the University of Geneva.

Amani brings over 20 years of experience in humanitarian affairs gained through her dedicated service with various UN agencies and international NGOs. Her recent leadership roles include Head of the sub-field office in Lattakia/Syria and overseeing the Crossline operation in Aleppo, demonstrating her commitment to delivering aid in complex environments.

Prior to her work in Syria, she managed the Humanitarian Financing unit for the Jordan Humanitarian Fund and led emergency response efforts across the Middle East region. She also served as the Regional Emergency Fund manager covering Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq. Amani's extensive fieldwork in Yemen, Afghanistan, and the Occupied Palestinian Territory has honed her skills in program development, humanitarian financing, stakeholder coordination, monitoring and evaluation, capacity building, partnership development, and donor relations.

Amani holds a Master's degree in Business Administration, reflecting her dedication to professional growth and excellence in the humanitarian sector.

Ashraf El Nour, a Sudanese national, has been appointed in September 2924 as Head of Office IOM KSA and Director for IOM Islamic Philanthropy Office. He has been with IOM since 1992. He most recently served as the Regional Director for Southern Africa, and before that he was Director of IOM Office to the UN in New York. Ashraf has served in different posts at HQ and in the field, including a secondment to UNDP (2001-2005).

Dr. Ayman Elhefnawi (Egypt) was formerly the team leader for the Future of Saudi Cities Program, a transformational programme of urban planning in KSA in cooperation with Ministry of Municipalities and Rural affairs (MOMRA) during the period 2014-2019. Prior to that he worked in several positions in both private sector and international agencies, including in Egypt. He Holds a BSc in Architecture and a Diploma in Urban Management and Human Resources Development from Institute of Housing and Urban Development, University of Erasmus, as well as two Master's degrees from Ain Shams University (Urban Design) and University College London (Urban Development Planning) and a PhD from Cairo University in Strategic Urban Planning.

Mr. Ayman Omer is the Programme Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Technical Cooperation Programme in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, OiC. He has over 25 years of experience in international development in 22 countries in the Middle East, and Africa. Prior to his current role, Mr. Omer served as Senior Programme Officer, and Delivery Manager for the Regional Initiative on Building Resilience at the FAO’s Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (NENA).

Mr. Omer started his career with UNDP in Sudan as programme quality expert. Before joining FAO, Mr. Omer served as Country Director for Oxfam International in various countries including Ethiopia, Uganda, Eritrea and Yemen. He holds a Masters in Agriculture Economics and a post-graduate Diploma in Management and Leadership.

Prior to Dr. Ismail's current position, he occupied the same role in Yemen - which is considered one of the largest WHO operations in the world – for 2 years and in Iraq for 2.5 years. Before moving to Iraq, Dr Ismail worked for 13 years as a leader for the “Essential Medicines and Health Technologies” team in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office in Cairo, Egypt.

Prior to joining WHO, Dr. Ismail worked as a professor in several academic institutions in Egypt and the USA where he managed to publish many articles in renowned journals and has participated in many national and international conferences. He has over 20 years of experience in clinical and biomedical engineering.

Coupled with his extensive working experience, Dr. Ismail has 3 Masters’ degrees in Public Health from University of Roehampton (UK), Biomedical Engineering from Alexandria University (Egypt), and Business Administration from Arab Academy for Science and Technology. He is also a holder of a PhD degree in Biomedical Engineering from University of Miami (USA).

As UNICEF Regional Representative for the Gulf States since April 2018, Mr Adam is responsible for managing and supervising UNICEF’s work, providing leadership and vision to the UNICEF country programme teams in planning and implementing local programmes and in managing and leveraging resources for the achievement of results and fulfilment of the rights of children. He was priviously UNICEF Chief Field Office for several operations in Mogadishu and Garowe, Somalia; in Qamishly, Syria; and in Sanaa, Yemen (2012-2018). Before joining UNICEF, Mr Adam has worked with UNDP in Abu Dhabi and Khartoum, and with Oxfam in Djakarta and Sana'a.

Judge Hatem Aly, a former Senior Judge and Chief Prosecutor in Egypt, has over 20 years of experience in the areas of criminal justice and crime prevention. He previously served as a Senior Crime Prevention Expert at UNODC Headquarters in Vienna. He was also a Representative for the Siracusa International Institute for Criminal Justice and Human Rights (SII) for the Middle East region and for Afghanistan. He holds a degree in International Criminal Law (ICL) from the Siracusa International Institute for Criminal Justice and Human Rights in Italy as well as an ICL Diploma in International Cooperation in Penal Matters from the International Human Rights Law Institute in Chicago, USA.

Ms Inas Hamad (Egypt) was appointed UNV Regional Portfolio Specialist for Arab States in September 2020. She is based in Amman Regional Office. Before taking this regional position, Ms Hamad served as the UNV Country Coordinator for Egypt. Through her practical knowledge attained during 20 years of experience with the international world of nonprofits, including the World Health Organization, the World Bank, USAID, and Plan International, Ms Hamad has gained exposure in diverse capacities to several development fields. She has been involved in strategic planning, programme management, resource mobilization, and international cooperation. Ms Hamad holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the American University in Cairo and Columbia University in New York City, with focused studies on UN Management. She is a certified trainer in gender and development from the Royal Tropical Institute in the Netherlands.

Janneke van der Graaff – Kukler is the Deputy Regional Director of UN-Women’s Regional Office in the Arab States. She has over 15 years’ experience as development practitioner at regional and country level in East and Southern Africa, Asia and the Pacific as well as the Arab States. Ms. Kukler’s profound programmatic background provides her with rich expertise in governance, leadership, and gender statistics. She is a specialist in regional strategic planning, UN coordination, as well as change management, including the implementation of General Assembly resolution 72/279.

Mr Khlaifa has 20 years of experience in relief and development. He has led humanitarian operations in various settings of natural disasters and complex emergencies, including in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Indonesia, Malaysia, Libya and Pakistan. He Holds an MA degree in English Literature & Humanities from Minia University in Egypt, an MSc in Sustainable Development from the University of London, and a Project Management Diploma from Aalborg Technical School, Denmark.

Mr. Mohamed El Zarkani of Egypt has more than 16 years of experience in Local Economic Development, labour market reform, research and innovation, and safe and orderly management of human mobility. Before his appointment as UN Resident Coordinator in Saudi Arabia, he has served as the Chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in the Kingdom of Bahrain, where he was responsible for providing technical assistance to the Government of Bahrain on all issues related to labour market reform, combatting trafficking in persons, migration environment and climate change, immigration and border governance, as well as migration and development. He has also served as the United Nations Resident Coordinator a.i in the Kingdom of Bahrain from November 2020 until April 2022.

He also oversaw IOM’s technical cooperation programmes with the Human Rights Commission in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization in the United Arab Emirates. Prior to his current role, Mohamed worked with IOM in Egypt and Kuwait as the head of community stabilization and human development and labour mobility programmes.

Mohamed has also worked with UNDP in Egypt as the national coordinator of a Local Economic Development Programme. Prior to working in the UN system, he worked with Nahdet El Mahrousa, an Egyptian Non-Governmental Organization focusing on promoting a culture of Research and Development for Egyptian youth. A national of Egypt, Mr. Mohamed El Zarkani has a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Webster University in the Netherlands in 2005. Mohamed is married and has two children.

Ms. Nahid Hussein, UNDP Resident Representative for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. She was the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative for Yemen, the Deputy Resident Representative a.i Somalia, and served at senior positions in Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Kosovo. Ms. Hussein holds a Master’s degree in International Law and Diplomacy, Switzerland, Geneva, and a Law Degree University of Khartoum, Sudan.

Dr. Patrick Goettner works in the Technical Cooperation Section of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and has more than 7 years of experience working on inter-agency coordination and the implementation of trade and development programmes in different countries around the globe.

In the past he worked as UNCTAD’s Regional Coordinator in the field in Samoa for a regional trade and transparency project in the Pacific region. Prior to that he served as International Consultant in the Department of Environment of UNIDO working on programmes with a focus on environmental sustainability issues, green industry, as well as e-waste management.

He holds a Master’s degree in Business Chemistry from the University of Muenster in Germany and a PhD in Economics from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany.

Peter Rademaker is the ILO’s Deputy Regional Director for the Arab States. He also heads the ILO’s Decent Work Technical Support Team for the region. He previously worked for the ILO in Africa and Asia and coordinated the ILO’s development partner relations team at Headquarters in Geneva, including on joint UN programming. He has been advising governments, trade unions and employers to advance Decent Work and Social Justice, including in the areas of youth employment, social protection and labour migration.

Safaa El Tayeb El-Kogali is the World Bank’s Country Director for the (GCC) countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) since July 1st, 2023.

Ms. El-Kogali, a Sudanese national, is a leading international development expert with more than 27 years of development experience in strategic leadership, government policy, program management, and research. Ms. El-Kogali, joined the World Bank in March 2000 as a Young Professional in the East Asia & Pacific Region. She has since held various positions across regions in the Bank, including Senior Economist in The Middle East and North Africa, Human Development Sector Leader in Latin America and Caribbean, and Practice Manager for Education in the Middle East and North Africa and in the Eastern and Southern African. She led policy dialogue and programs with governments in over 30 countries and published numerous studies and reports spanning a range of development topics.

Ms. El-Kogali has a Master of Philosophy degree with distinction in Development Studies from the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, UK and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, USA.

Mr. Salah Khaled (Egypt) began his career at the United Nations in 1993 in the Operational Development Assistance Unit (ODAU). He then worked as an Operations Assistant for UNICEF's Cairo Office, before joining UNESCO in 2001 as Head of the Liaison and Procurement Unit for Iraq, based in Amman, Jordan. He served as UNESCO's representative in Southern Sudan for the countries of Maghreb, before being appointed in Yaoundé as Regional Director for the Central African region. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the American University in Cairo and a Master of Arts degree in Human Development from the Arab Academy of Alexandria, Egypt.

Appointed as the UN Tourism Regional Director for the Middle East office in June 2024, Mr. Samer Al-Kharashi is a distinguished Saudi Arabian diplomat, bringing his extensive expertise to the UN Tourism’s mandate.

Al Kharashi earned a High Diploma in Diplomatic Studies from the Prince Saud Alfaisal Institute for Diplomatic Studies in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2002) and a Bachelor of Law from King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (1999). His education includes notable programs at Harvard University, Cranfield University, and the European School of Protocol, which focus on leadership, international law, and diplomatic etiquette.

His diplomatic career started as an Attaché in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Saudi Arabia in 2000, and he subsequently held leading positions such as Vice Consul for Citizen Affairs at the General Consulate of Saudi Arabia in Geneva (2003-2007), Adviser for the minister assistant of Foreign Affairs (2008-2017), and Chief of Staff to the Deputy Minister for Political and Economic Affairs (2017-2019). Al-Kharashi held the position of the Deputy Head of Mission of the Saudi Embassy in Washington, D.C. from 2019 to 2022.

Apart from his duty as a Minister Plenipotentiary since 2019, he took part in significant international forums and conferences. AL-Kharashi was also involved as a member of Saudi Arabia's delegation to the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York (2008), as well as in several other multilateral and bilateral engagements and sub-commissions.

His vast exposure enables him to provide a strategic perspective that is consistent with the UN Tourism’s goals of supporting sustainable tourism development and increasing the region's global tourism competitiveness.

With over 20 years of experience in management, Mr. Dimassi has extensive experience in multi-lateral and international relations, corporate and policy reform, intergovernmental affairs, strategy design and private sector engagement. Mr. Sami Dimassi joined the UNEP Regional Office for West Asia as Director and Regional Representative in 2017. He held several senior positions in the UN System, such as Senior ICT Advisor, Head of the Innovation Branch, Deputy Director of the Science division, Director of Private Sector Engagement, and Acting Director of Corporate Services all within UNEP. A Lebanese-Canadian national, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from Ottawa University and a master’s in Management from Waterloo University in Canada

Mr. Sanaullah Malik currently serves as the Project Coordinator at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). In this capacity, he assumes responsibility for overseeing the day-to-day administrative activities of the project, ensuring the successful implementation of the work plan, and achieving the project objectives. Additionally, Mr. Malik brings extensive expertise as an Aircraft Airworthiness and Certification Expert.

With 25 years of experience in the aviation industry, Mr. Malik has accumulated professional skills in various fields, including aviation and airline management, safety oversight, training, and corporate communication. His expertise in these areas is complemented by his academic background, as he holds degrees in both laws and engineering.

Shahlaa Ali Saeed is an Iraqi International Civil Servant with the United Nations Secretariat, currently serving as the Officer in Charge of the OHCHR Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since July 2024. She has over 12 years of progressive experience in the human rights field, having worked with the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) since 2011 and with the OHCHR-TCP since May 2021.

Throughout her career, Shahlaa has demonstrated significant expertise in human rights monitoring and documentation, conducting interviews with victims of human rights violations, and providing legal analysis, particularly in promoting gender equality and women’s rights. She has led capacity-building initiatives in Iraq, advising on legal and institutional reforms and supporting governmental authorities, parliamentarians, and civil society organizations (CSOs) in addressing human rights legislation and practices.

Shahlaa has also developed, designed, and implemented training courses and technical cooperation programs on human rights, international humanitarian law, democracy, and the rule of law, always with a strong focus on gender perspectives and human rights education. Her expertise extends to analytical research, including contributions to the Law of Combating Domestic Violence (DV) and its amendment to align with international human rights standards.



Shahlaa holds a Master’s Degree in English Literature from Baghdad University and a Bachelor’s Degree in English Language from the University of Salahaddin in Erbil, Iraq. Recently, in June 2024, she obtained a Diploma in International Criminal Law and Current Global Crises from the Siracusa International Institute for Criminal Justice and Human Rights in Italy.

Her extensive experience and commitment to human rights make her a valuable asset in advancing international human rights initiatives.

Mr. Alsawi applies his personal insights and 20 years of experience in Government, International organizations, international development and diplomacy to ensure the helping to shape the future of global food security and agriculture in the region.

Prior to his appointment at IFAD, Alsawi was Director General of International Cooperation Department in Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.

Alsawi was born and raised in Riyadh. He has a Master Degree in Economics, University of Western Australia and Bachelor Degree in Agriculture, King Saud University.

Mr Tamer Hammouda is the Chief Security Advisor for UNDSS in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain has been working with UNDSS since 2004 as Security coordination officer in Darfur, South Sudan, Erbil and Baghdad and Regional Security Advisor for UAE, Oman and Qatar. He holds a Master’s degree in Crisis Management, and Master’s degree in Law and Police science.

Mr Zeeshan Amin is Head of Office a.i. for the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism Programme Office in Baghdad, and non-resident member of the UN Country Team in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He is also Head of UNOCT’s Strategic Coordination Section, which focuses on coordination and cooperation with UN agencies and partners in key field settings. In this capacity, Mr. Amin also oversees UNOCT’s activities in the Eastern and Southern African region through the UNOCT Programme Office in Nairobi, Kenya.

Mr Amin has almost 20-years of experience working at UNHQ on a wide range of topics, including counter-terrorism and PCVE policy-making, capacity-building, advocacy and inter-agency coordination, as well as on inter-governmental consultations on General Assembly resolutions. Mr Amin has a Masters degree in International Security Policy from Columbia University in New York, and a Bachelors degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.