Rania Al-Mashat

Rania Al-Mashat is an Egyptian international economist with more than 25 years of experience in macroeconomic policy, economic development, international cooperation, climate finance, sustainability, and monetary policy. She currently serves as Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), following her appointment by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in April 2026.

Before taking up her UN role, Rania served for eight consecutive years in the Egyptian Cabinet, holding three ministerial portfolios: Minister of Tourism from 2018 to 2019, Minister of International Cooperation from 2019 to 2024, and Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation from 2024 to 2026.

Before joining government, Rania held senior positions at the International Monetary Fund, where she served as Senior Economist and later Adviser to the Chief Economist. She also served as Sub-Governor for Monetary Policy at the Central Bank of Egypt.

During her ministerial tenure, Rania represented Egypt in several multilateral development banks and led international partnerships to align development finance across sectors while promoting greater private sector participation. She also advanced Egypt’s Country Platform for the Nexus of Water, Food, and Energy (NWFE), designed to accelerate the green transition and mobilise climate finance, particularly for the private sector.

Rania has published widely on development, climate finance, monetary policy, financial stability, and institutional reform, and is recognised internationally for her work on economic diplomacy, structural reform, and sustainable development.