The Gulf Ministerial Council approved the appointment of Saudi Arabia’s candidate, Dr. Raja bin Manahi Al Marzouqi, as the General Coordinator of Negotiations with Countries and International Economic Groups at the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Under the appointment, Dr. Al Marzouqi will be the head of the GCC negotiating team for the coming period.
Jassim Mohammed Al-Badawi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, met with the appointed Dr. Al Marzouqi today, Wednesday, at the headquarters of the General Secretariat in Riyadh, on the occasion of his appointment, indicating confidence in the tasks entrusted to him to advance the leadership of the Gulf trade negotiations file in a way that meets the aspirations of the Council countries.
The meeting discussed the need to benefit from the Gulf achievements during the Council’s journey, according to the provisions of the economic agreement, and the ability of the GCC countries to play a major role as an economic engine through strategic partnerships and free trade negotiations with a number of countries, regional blocs, economic and other international groups, and enhancing ways to accelerate their pace, which contributes to advancing the Gulf economic growth and integration process, and through development plans, visions and programs in the Council countries. For
his part, Al-Marzouqi expressed his appreciation to the foreign ministers of the GCC countries for their confidence in appointing him as general coordinator of the negotiations, pointing out that maximum efforts are being made to achieve the aspirations of the Gulf countries and enhance their strategic relations and international standing.
Al-Marzouqi currently holds the position of Senior Economic Advisor at the Ministry of Economy and Planning, a faculty member in the Department of Economics at the Prince Saud Al-Faisal Institute for Diplomatic Studies, and a cooperating expert with the International Monetary Fund.
Al Marzouqi has held a number of leadership and administrative positions in the public and private sectors, international and regional organizations, the most recent of which was CEO of the Gulf Monetary Council, Economic Advisor at the International Monetary Fund responsible for the Fund’s private sector policies for the Middle East and Central Asia region, Head of the Fund’s Mission to Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, and Torchbearer of the Economic Security Strategy for National Security.
Dr. Al Marzouqi previously served as Minister Plenipotentiary and Head of the Monetary Union Unit at the General Secretariat of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, in addition to holding a number of academic, advisory and supervisory positions. He is a visiting speaker at the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States of America, and an Associate Professor at the Thunderbird School of International Management, King Saud University in the College of Business Administration, and the College of Architecture and Planning in the Bachelor’s and Master’s programs.
Al Marzouqi has worked as a member of a number of international organizations and governmental and private initiatives, and as an advisor to many companies and financial and economic institutions. Such as the World Bank, the Royal Commission for Industrial Cities, Aramco, Europraxis Consulting in Spain, Al-Khabeer Capital, and Mowaten Real Estate Company, and an independent director of a number of investment funds licensed by the Capital Market Authority, and a member of a number of academic committees and international financial and economic associations.
Dr. Al-Marzouqi has many scientific contributions, as he has published a wide range of studies, economic research, specialized articles, and books in various economic fields, especially in the field of economic integration and monetary union, economic models, macroeconomic analysis, monetary and fiscal policies, international finance and economic efficiency, the most recent of which is a book published by the international publishing house “Routledge” in 2023, in partnership with Dr. John Matthews, entitled “Global Innovations.. Finance and International Trade”.
Dr. Raja Al-Marzouqi holds a PhD in Economics (with a supporting specialization in Finance Management) from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematical Economics from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, USA, and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from King Saud University in Riyadh.