Dr. Abdallah Al Dardari

Dr. Abdallah Al Dardari, has been appointed as Deputy Executive Secretary of ESCWA. Dr. Al Dardari, a national of Syria, holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from Richmond – American International University of London in 1985, a Master of Arts Degree in International Economic Relations from the University of Southern California in 1988. He undertook Post Graduate Studies towards a Master of Philosophy in International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science between 1988 and 1990. He also holds an Honorary Doctorate from Yalova University in Istanbul.

Over the past three years, Dr. Dardari served as the Chief Economist at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN ESCWA) and the Director of the Economic Development and Globalization Division. Under his leadership the division supported Arab efforts to deepen regional economic integration, and assisted member states in designing policies that would lead to inclusive growth, job creation, and human security.

Recent examples include support to National Development planning initiatives in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, advisory services on trade and regional integration to Member Countries as well as the National Agenda for the Future of Syria Programme.

Before joining UN ESCWA, Dr. AlDardari was Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs from 2005 to 2011 and Minister of Planning and Chairman of the State Planning Commission from 2003 to 2005. He was also Assistant Resident Representative in UNDP Syria between 2001 and 2003. He began his career as a journalist in AlHayat, a pan-Arab daily.

He has over ten years of experience as lecturer on the subjects of economics and international relations at various international institutions.