Board of Trustees

Professor Emeritus , Physics, Birzeit University. Member of the Board of Trustees, Yasser Arafat Foundation, the Advisory Committee to Palestinian Anti-Corruption Commission, and several other boards and committees.   Formerly: Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Palestine Capital Market Authority (PCMA) (Sep 2015- Aug 2023); Director General of the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS) for two terms (2013-2019) and  (1994–1998); Minister of Finance of the Palestinian National Authority (2012-2013); President of Birzeit University (2004-2010); Minister of Planning (2003–2004); Minister of Tourism and Antiquities(2002-2003); Minister in Charge, Bethlehem 2000 Project (1998-2002); Coordinator, Ministerial Reform Committee (2002-2004); Member of the Board and of the Audit Committee, Palestine Monetary Authority (PMA); Chairman of the Audit Committee of the Ministry of Finance (2009-2012); Director General/ Technical and Advisory Committees, Palestinian Team to Peace Negotiations (1993-1994); Member/ Palestinian Team to the Madrid Peace Conference; Deputy Head/ Palestinian Delegation to the Peace Talks in Washington (1992-1993). Member respectively Head of Delegation: Peace Negotiations in Cairo (1995-1996); Member, Palestinian Team to Final Status Negotiations, 1999. Frequent participant in second-track negotiations, (1997-2003); Member, World Scientific Council 2004-2008, UNESCO. Chairman of the Board of Trustees/Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS), 2012. Holds a Ph.D. degree in Theoretical Nuclear Physics, American University of Beirut (1972), and M.Sc. degree in Nuclear Physics, University of Mainz, Germany (1969). Held academic ranks and research fellowships at the University of Jordan (1972-1978), the University of Sussex, England (1978-1980) and Birzeit University (1980- 2004); Germany, Britain, France and Italy (1973-1990). Has numerous publications in theoretical nuclear physics as well as many articles and interviews on issues relevant to the Palestinian scene, including politics, economy, culture and education. Invited Participant to Conferences: World Economic Forum, Davos, 1999, 2000; InterAction  Council, Dead Sea 2006; World Federation of Scientists, Erice, 2007, 2008;  IV Foro Formentor,  Mallorca, 2003; World Scientific Council, UNESCO, Paris, 2005, 2006; Global Colloquium of University Presidents, Princeton, 2006.             

Chairman of the board of Palestine Islamic Bank. He worked as an economist in Lebanon, UK, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Palestine. In 1996, he was elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council (Parliament) and later served as Minister of National Economy until 2005. As a Minister, he chaired the Palestinian Investment Promotion Agency (PIPA), Palestine Standards Institution (PSI) and Palestinian Industrial Estates and Free Zone Authority (PIEFZA). He was the Chairman of Palestine Capital Markets Authority (PCMA) from 2006 till 2014. Presently he is a member of the board of the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF) and the Chairman of Palestine Stock Exchange. Mr. Masri holds BA and MA degree in economics from the American University of Beirut.

President of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) and Former President of  the International Association of Official Statistics (IAOS) for the years 2013 -2017. Dr. Awad is an active chief statistician in a number of national, regional and international agencies. Internationally, she is currently a council member in the International Statistical Institute (ISI) for the years (2017-2019). She represents the Arab region in the High-level group for Partnership, Coordination and Capacity-building for Statistics for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (HLG-SDGs). She is a permanent member of the Women’s Committee of the International Statistics Institute (ISI) in addition to her membership in the ASPEN’s Middle Leadership Initiative. Regionally, she is a Board member of the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Center for Islamic Countries, member of the international advisory committee of Abu Dhabi Statistics Center (SCAD), member of the Board of Trustees of the Arab Institute for Research and Training in Statistics, member of the Board of Directors of the Union of Arab Statisticians, member of the Permanent Executive Committee of Statistics in the Secretariat General of the Arab League.  Nationally, Dr. Awad is the Secretary General of the Palestinian Statistical Advisory Council,   Member of Board of Palestinian Economic Policy Research Institute-MAS, Member of the Palestinian Supreme Council of Youth and Sports, Member of the Board of Trustees of Yasser Arafat Foundation, Member of the Board of Trustees of the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy "MIFTAH", Member of the Executive Office of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, Member of the Advisory Board in "This Week in Palestine" Magazine.  Dr. Awad has a number of published research papers on many topics including: Sustainable Development, Gender issues, Labor Market, The Palestinian Economical Situation, Good Governance, Data Dissemination, and Management of Statistical Institutions Under Crises. She holds a PhD in Business Administration in 2016 from the University of Liverpool and an MA in Applied Statistics from Birzeit University in 2013, and MA in Business Administration from Boston University in 2000 and a BA in Economics from Birzeit University in 1997.  

Mr. Azzam Al-Shawwa was born in Kuwait City in 1963, and in the same year he moved with his family to Gaza City in Palestine. He completed his education from Lemoyne-Owen College in Memphis, Tennessee, USA in 1988, where he obtained a BA in Mathematics.  His Excellency Mr. Azzam Shawwa held the position of Governor of the Palestinian Monetary Authority and Chairman of its Board of Directors for five years, from 20/11/2015 to 3/1/2021. During that period, he also headed the National Anti-Money Laundering Committee and the Board of Directors of the Palestinian Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Banking Institute. On April 29, 2018, he was awarded the "Golden Union Medal for Achievement" by the Union of Arab Banks. In 2003, Mr. Shawwa was appointed Minister of Energy and Natural Resources in the Palestinian National Authority, where he spent more than three years in this position marked by remarkable activity. The year 2007 witnessed the peak of His Excellency Mr. Shawa's involvement in the banking business, as he assumed the position of General Manager of Al Quds Bank. In 2012, His Excellency Mr. Shawwa chaired the Board of Directors of the Association of Banks in Palestine, where he tangibly activated its role in serving the member banks and the banking sector in general. In March 2013, Mr. Shawwa joined Palestine Commercial Bank as its General Manager. Since its establishment in 2002, Mr. Shawwa has been a prominent member of the Board of Directors of the Palestine Investment Fund, which represents the state's sovereign fund and its investment arm. It operates as an independent investment institution that aims to contribute effectively to sustainable economic development. Mr. Shawa is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Palestine Future Foundation for Children. He is also an active member of the boards of directors of several local and international organizations and institutions, the most important of which are: the Businessmen Association, the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), the Palestinian Power Generation Company, the Welfare Association, the Mahmoud Abbas Foundation, and the Yasser Arafat Foundation. Mr. Shawwa is also a member of the Union of Arab Banks.  Mr. Shawa previously chaired the board of directors of several institutions, the most important of which are Reef Lending, NatHealth, Gaza Sports Club, Atfaluna Association for Deaf Children, Palestinian Weightlifting Federation, and membership in the Board of Trustees of Al-Quds Open University and the Education for Employment Foundation.

Economist and consultant. Ex-deputy Minister, Ministry of Finance, PA (1994-2005); Cofounder and CEO of the Palestine Capital Market Authority (PCMA) (2005-2009); Professor of Economics at different Palestinian Universities including An-Najah National University since 1983; Chairman of the Economics Dept. at An-Najah (1984-1986); Chairman of the Palestinian Economists Association (1988-1990); Chairman of Al-Quds Open University (1991-1994); member of the Palestinian peace delegation in 1993; member of the International Institute of Public Finance in Saarbrücken, Germany, since 1994; was a member of the Ad-hoc group of Experts of International Cooperation in Tax Matters, UN, New York. Currently, he is a Board member of: The Palestine Investment Fund (PIF) Masdar (2022 to date) Sanad Company (2020 to date) the Internal Audit Committee and Member of The Risk and Corporate at Arab Islamic Bank (2013 – Present)   In the past he also was a board member of: the Palestinian Industrial Estate and Free Zone Authority (PIEFZA) (1997 2005), the Palestinian Investment Promotion Agency (PIPA) since 1999, the Association of the Arab Certified Public Accountants since 1999; Board Member of the Palestine Exchange May 2014 The Palestine Monetary Authority (PMA) (1996 2005) Chairman of the Arab Islamic Bank (20162021) Special Adviser to the Board Bank of Palestine (2009 –2014) Member of the Board of Directors/Chairman of the Internal Audit Committee of Palestine Real Estate s Investment Co. (PRICO) (20092015) Chairman of the Steering Committee of the PA Tax Administration Computer System since 1998; member of the Steering Committee of Local Infrastructure and Capacity Building Project/Belgian Technical Cooperation (2001) member of the Steering Committee of the Municipal Development Project/the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) (2002); VicePres. of the Palestinian National Pension Committee since 2003;   He has conducted numerous research activities in finance, trade, taxation and other economic issues and written many articles, papers and studies on those subjects. Holds PhD in Economics from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (1982).

Is the Chairman of the Board and CEO of Birzeit Pharmaceutical Co., Palestine, since 1974 until present. He is also the chairman of the following companies: Chairman of the Board, The National Bank (TNB), Palestine, 2005-2021 Chairman of the Board, Lotus Financial Investment Co., Palestine, 2005-Present Chairman of the Board, Petropal Mineral Oil Co., Palestine, 2003-Present Chairman of the Board, Abraj Investment & Development Co. 2008- Present Board Member, Palestine Telecommunication Co. PALTEL, Palestine, 2004-Present Board Member, PALESTINE ELECTRIC CO. PLC. (PEC PUBLIC), 2016-Present Board Member, Board of Trustees (St. Joseph Hospital), 2016-2020   Previously he held the following positions:   Founder & Board Member, the International Chamber of Commerce-ICC, Palestine; 2011-2016 Chairman of the Board, Union of Palestinian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (UPPM), Palestine; 2006-2008 Board Member, Palestine Investment Fund (PIF), Palestine; 2002-2006 Board Member, Palestine Monetary Authority (PMA), Palestine; 2002-2006 Chairman of the Board, Palestinian Federation of Industries (PFI), Palestine; 1999-2003 Founder & Board Member, Palestinian Trade Center (PALTRADE), Palestine; 1997-1999 Founder and Board Member, Businessmen Association (BMA), Palestine; 2001-2004     Mr. Nasereddin holds his MSc from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, 1974

 Born and raised in Ramallah, Palestine. Samia completed a BA degree in Industrial Design from San Francisco State University  in 1987 and worked for three years in California, USA.  Samia received an Executive MBA degree from Northwestern University’s International Kellogg-Recanati program in 2013. She is a co-founder and CEO of Bisan Systems Ltd, a software house established in Ramallah - Palestine in 1988,  specializing in Complete Financial Management ERP Solutions serving the private, governmental, non-profit and microfinance sectors.  Bisan Systems serves various countries and sectors with 40% of its sales outside Palestine.  She is a founding member of the Business Women Forum-Palestine established in 2006 and currently an active member.  Samia is the first woman from the Palestinian private sector to serve on the Board of Directors of the Palestine Monetary Authority from 2016 until 2019. Samia has been a member of Birzeit University Board of Trustees since 2017. She is the mother of two girls.

He served as Director General of the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS) for two terms (April 2004-June 2007 and January 2010-November 2013).  He then served as Director of Research at the Institute (November 2013-February 2016) and as a Principal Investigator until the end of 2018.  He continues his research work as a freelance researcher and a part-time Lecturer at Bir Zeit University. Dr. Abdullah took a leave without pay in June 2007 upon his assignment to serve as Minister of Planning and Minister of Labour in the Palestinian government.  He supervised the preparation of the Reform and Development Plan (PRDP) 2008-2010, and the Gaza Economic Recovery and Restructuring Plan (2009-2010). He also succeeded in restructuring the Ministries of Labour and Planning by redistributing their human resources and increasing their ability to achieve their objectives and the quality of their services.    In February 1985, he was appointed as Assistant Professor at An-Najah National University. He headed the Department of Economics (1987-1990) and was promoted to Associate Professor in 1990. Dr. Abdullah was awarded a Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholarship for the academic year 1990-1991, where he spent time conducting research and teaching at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee USA. In October 1991, Dr. Abdullah was Selected to join the Palestinian Negotiating Team for bilateral and multi-lateral negotiations and participated in the bilateral political negotiations with Israel at the Madrid Conference and in Washington, as well as in the sessions of the Economic Working Group for Multilateral Negotiations.   In late 1992, he was assigned to Chair the Palestinian Counterpart Committee (PCC) to the World Bank (IBRD) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) missions to Palestine, which was formed at their request to assist them in preparing reports on development needs in various social and economic sectors and the requirements for building the institutions of the Palestinian Authority.   He also served as: the Director General of the Department of Economic Policies and Project Selection at the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction (PECDAR) in 1994 Assistant Undersecretary for Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Economy and Trade.  The General Manager of the Arab Palestine Investment Bank (APIB) (1996-1999). The General Manager of the Palestinian Trade Center (PalTrade) (1999-2002). Dr. Abdullah was an active volunteer in some government agencies as well serving as a member of the Boards of: the National Commission for Accreditation and Quality of Higher Education (2002-2006). Founder of The Palestine Economic Pulse, the first economic bulletin in English, which was established in 1995, and served as its Editor in Chief. Member of the Palestine National Board for Scientific Research (2004 -2007), Ministry of Higher Education. Member of the Board of Directors of the Palestine Monetary Authority for three consecutive terms (during the period 2004 to 2013).  He was also a member of the Internal Audit Committee of the PNA, (June 2009), and chaired it from 2011 to 2013. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics (April 1994). Dr. Abdullah has authored several research papers that have been published locally and abroad, and supervised the authorship and supervision of hundreds of research papers.

Chairman and CEO of the Sinokrot Global Group since 1982, the Founder and Ex-Chairman of the Palestinian Food Industries Association, and the Regional Director of the Arab Food Industries Federation since 1997. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of:  The Public-Private Joint Economic Committee, the National Reform Committee, the Palestinian Economic Task Force, the Palestinian Free Zone and Industrial Zones Association, and the Board of Registry and Sanction at the Ministry of Higher Education; serves as Secretary of the Private Sector Coordinating Council; member of the Palestinian Businessmen Association and of the Higher Council for Technical Vocational and Education; He also serves as Chairman or Vice-chairman of: The Industrial Modernization Center the Universal Group for Engineering and Consulting the Palestinian Federation of Industries; Vice-Chairman of the Palestinian Standards Institute; He also acted as representative of the Palestinian private sector in local and international activities; has been an associate member in all committees in charge of formulating laws and legislation related to the Palestinian economy (incl. labor, income tax, investment, … etc.); has contributed to many economic trade studies between the PA and other countries; was appointed PA Minister of National Economy in the cabinet of PM Ahmed Qrei’a in Feb. 2005. Mr. Sinokrot holds a BSc with Honors in Industrial Engineering and Production Management from the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom (1980).

Palestinian-American based in Al-Bireh/Ramallah, Palestine and is managing partner of Applied Information Management (AIM), a consulting firm specializing in business development with a niche focus on start-ups and providing executive counsel.  Bahour was instrumental in the establishment of two publicly traded firms: the Palestine Telecommunications Company (PALTEL) and the Arab Palestinian Shopping Center. He is currently an independent director at the Arab Islamic Bank, board of trustee member at the Ramallah Friends School, advisory board member of the Open Society Foundations’ Arab Regional Office, and completed a full term as a board of trustees member and board treasurer at Birzeit University. In addition to his presidential appointment to serve as a general assembly member of the Palestine Investment Fund, Palestine’s $1B sovereign wealth fund, Bahour serves in various capacities in several community organizations, including co-founder and chairman of Americans for a Vibrant Palestinian Economy, board member of Just Vision in New York, board member and policy adviser at Al-Shabaka, the Palestinian Policy Network, and secretariat member of the Palestine Strategy Group, among others. Bahour earned his Bachelor of Science in Applied Science degree in Computer Technology from Youngstown State University and his Master of Business Administration degree from the Kellogg-Recanati International Executive MBA, a joint program of the top-rated Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University) and the Recanati Business School (Tel Aviv University).   He speaks and writes frequently on Palestinian affairs and has been widely published in leading outlets such as the New York Times, the Guardian, and Haaretz, among others. He is co-editor of HOMELAND: Oral History of Palestine and Palestinians (1993) and has been on NPR, CNN, BBC, and numerous other radio and TV programs.

The dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics at Birzeit University for two terms.  She is a professor of management and has been the director of the MBA program at Birzeit University for six years and chaired the department of business administration.  She is an adjunct visiting professor at Florida State University. She has over thirty years of experience as a university professor, administrator, student career advisor, researcher, management trainer, and consultant at private and public organizations. She served as a university council member, an academic council member, and on a number of university and community committees including the board of directors of the National Bank/Palestine. She is co-editor of a case book titled Rising to the Digital Challenge: Lessons from Mediterranean Enterprises (2005). She is a co-author of “The Palestinian Executive: Leadership under Challenging Conditions”, Gower, UK (2012). She is also a co-editor of a book titled “Cases on Management and Organizational Behavior in an Arab Context”, IGI, USA (2014). She holds an MBA from Suffolk University, USA, and a PhD in Human Resource Management from Bradford University, UK. Dr. Khoury is a reviewer for several management journals and a member of the editorial board of The Learning Organization, Emerald. Her research interests include entrepreneurship and employment, leadership, organizational behavior, and management She obtained certificates in project management and customer relationship management. She has published a number of management case studies and research articles in several academic journals and participated in international conferences.

A prominent lawyer and legal adviser and he is highly experienced in business, corporate & investment laws and the related regulatory, transactional and advocacy environment. His outstanding expertise is related to different economic sectors including Telecommunication and ICT, Financial and Fiscal sectors, Energy, in M&A, capital market laws and regulations. Equally, He has extensive practice in arbitration and litigation. Advocate Al-Zubi took a leading part in the preparation and drafting of the Palestinian Basic Law (current constitution), and has contributed substantially to the drafting of a significant number of commercial, corporate and investment, fiscal as well as ICT laws and regulations in Palestine.  After earning his LLM degree from the University of Edinburgh in the UK in 1994, he re-inaugurated the highly regarded Al-Zubi Law Office which was established in 1963.  This office represents and advises several renowned national and international institutions and corporations with business stakes in Palestine. Mr. Al-Zubi has a deep interest to developing educational quality in Palestine and he prominently contributed to the establishment of the Law Institute at Birzeit University where he was a part-time lecturer for Master law students 1997-2003. In 2006, he founded with a group of entrepreneurs the distinctive PIONEERS Baccalaureate Schools in Nablus- Palestine where he still serves as a board and member of trustees. And he served in the Board of Trustees for The National Independent Fund for Students` Lending over the period 2013-2016.  In 2014 Al-Zubi was selected by the ICC World Council as a member in the ICC International Court of Arbitration (Paris) which is one of the most highly regarded legal forums worldwide and is still holding this post.  Al-Zubi published leading articles and legal studies, concerning governance, contracts, arbitration and the constitutionality of the functions and powers of the branches of the Government in Palestine.

With educational qualifications in Economics and Business Management and many specialized training programs, Mrs. Khoury work experience in Palestine led to a good level of expertise in diverse sectors, namely: economic and private sector development in OPT/State of Palestine, tourism and cultural development, women development and demography issues, defense of human rights, donor coordination, Jerusalem multi-sector development research, and programming for the Bethlehem 2000 Development project. This rich experience led to her appointment as Cabinet Minister with the Palestinian Authority and later as P.L.O. Ambassador (Déléguée Générale) in France. Upon retirement, she served as General Secretary to the Kairos Palestine movement.   Previous Work Experience: 2010-present: voluntary work serving on the boards of various local civil society organizations among which are ARIJ as president for six years and now as Vice President, The Bethlehem Development Foundation (Vice President), Kairos Palestine. A-lHoash Art Center (President, 2019-2021). Waqfiet Alquds (Vice President). Palestine Investment Fund (PIF) Sabeel (Vice President). the Bethlehem Bible College. the Arab Thought Forum. 2015-2016: General Secretary of Kairos Palestine 2006-2010: Ambassador of P.L.O. In France (entitled Déléguée Générale at the time). 2005-2006: Cabinet Minister for Jerusalem Affairs with the Palestinian Authority. 2003-2005: Program Advisor with NORAD, at the Representative Office of Norway, charged with managing support to the Palestinian human Rights Sector and Donor Coordination. 2000-2003: Researcher on the economic and financial sectors in Jerusalem within the Multi-Sector Review study. 1998-2000: The Bethlehem 2000 Project Ministry in Charge of cultural management and marketing. 1996-1997: UNFPA Representative working on women and demography. 1995-1996: Freelance consultant (conducted a tourism development study for Bethlehem on behalf of UNESCO, business development for SIDA, employment generation projects for UNDP, the concept for the Bethlehem 2000 development program among other tasks and studies).   She is also serving as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Palestine Investment Fund and a member of the board (in charge of development and public relations) at the Maqased Society, Jerusalem.   She had her schooling in Bethlehem at Sœur de St. Joseph de l’Apparition and De La salle High School, earned a B.A. degree in Economics from the American University of Beirut (1974), and M.Sc. in Business Management from Boston University (obtained through studies at Ben Gurion University Campus). She published a number of articles in foreign and local press.  

Khalidi was trained as a development economist, with a B.A.(Hons) from Oxford University and M.Sc. from the University of London (SOAS). He has conducted research and published and lectured widely on Palestinian economic conditions in Lebanon, in the Arab region in Israel, and in the occupied territories. He worked with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) from 1985 to 2013 and as a senior economist he served as Coordinator of its Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People, Head of its Debt and Development Finance Branch, and Chief of the Office of the Director of the Division of Globalization and Development Strategies. He has been since 2019 Director General of the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS).