Mansoor Al-Mahmoud
International Council Member, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Experience
Mansoor Al-Mahmoud is one of the chief executives in Qatar’s flourishing public sector. Appointed the Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Development Bank in May 2009, his role has seen him leading the bank’s efforts to diversify the country’s economy beyond a gas economy through emphasis on growth of the small and medium enterprise sector, and building key initiatives and partnerships to support it.
Through his role as CEO, Mr. Al Mahmoud sees one of his priorities is to align the goals of the private and public sectors, helping each other reach their own goals and vision.
His philosophy is to constructively direct the private sector by providing insights around the government’s agenda and priorities. This approach serves as a guide to positively impact the private sector investment towards a specific sector or direction that is in alignment with a larger vision and country level strategy. Mr. Al Mahmoud continuously emphasizes the importance of playing an educational role to help the private sector understand Qatar’s economic priorities and vision.
Despite growing responsibilities, Mr. Al Mahmoud was also appointed the Office Director of the Prime Minister of the State of Qatar’s Office at the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA). This role has led to extensive exposure to international investment affairs with the leading investment arm in the country, as well as a very active level of involvement in this arena.
His roles and responsibilities don’t end there, and include being a Member of the Board and Executive Committee of Qatari Diar, the largest real estate company developing in the Middle East. He is also a Board Member in Qatar National Bank, the largest in Qatar as well as the largest in the Middle East, and a Board Member in Hassad Food Company.
The young businessman, who studied his undergraduate degree at George Washington University in the US, is driven by the desire to be part of the country’s rapid growth, helping to push it to a pole position in global finance. He has cultivated a position as a main point of contact for the bank’s many partners around the region and the world.
Even as oil prices plunged and the economic slump swept the region, Qatar has still managed to grow during tough times and is embarking on a huge development plans even more so after winning the FIFA 2022 World Cup. This means that projects that boost sectors such as tourism, manufacturing, and healthcare demonstrate the bank’s realization of the need to diversify beyond the gas economy.
Mr. Al Mahmoud aims to continue overseeing progress at Qatar Development Bank, through building industrial and technological ties between Qatari businessmen and foreign companies, to engineer key collaborations with domestic industries.
