Faisal Al-Sharif, director general of the Saudi Financial Sector Development Program

Faisal Al-Sharif
Updated 05 May 2019
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Faisal Al-Sharif, director general of the Saudi Financial Sector Development Program

Faisal Al-Sharif is the director general of the Financial Sector Development Program (FSDP), one of the 13 executive programs launched by the Council of Economic and Development Affairs (CEDA) to achieve the objectives of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. 

As director general, Al-Sharif plays a key role in the creation of a diversified and effective financial sector to support the development of the Kingdom’s national economy.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in financial management from Long Beach State University in California, US. Al-Sharif is an ACI certificate holder, which a globally recognized certificate that attests to the holder’s mastery of the fundamental instruments and structures of a modern treasury.

Before joining the FSDP, Al-Sharif worked at Deutsche Bank. He began his career in the bank as vice president of the Financing and Solutions Group (FSG) and went on to become head of Derivate Solutions.

During his tenure at Deutsche Bank, Al-Sharif was responsible for the bank’s structuring and hedging solutions offerings in Saudi Arabia. It was a key part of the bank’s initiative to expand footprint in the Middle East and North Africa for the FSG derivatives offering. Prior to Deutsche Bank, Al-Sharif also worked at MassMutual Financial Group in California and later Saudi British Bank.

Recently, he addressed the Financial Sector Conference in Riyadh. Thousands of delegates, including ministers from the finance, economy and strategic ministries, as well as leading policymakers from capital markets and the investment and insurance industries attended the event.

During one of the sessions, Al-Sharif spoke about the impact of government-driven savings programs in various emerging markets. He also highlighted the impact of new initiatives taken to encourage savings in Saudi Arabia.


Saudi defense minister receives Mukalla port director, thanks him for heroic role

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman poses with the director of the Port of Mukalla Salem Basamir on Tuesday.
Updated 13 January 2026
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Saudi defense minister receives Mukalla port director, thanks him for heroic role

  • Prince Khalid thanked Basamir for his heroic and humanitarian role in ensuring safety and protecting lives and property at the port

RIYADH: Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman received the director of the Port of Mukalla Salem Basamir on Tuesday.
In a post on social media platform X, Prince Khalid thanked Basamir for his heroic and humanitarian role in ensuring safety and protecting lives and property at the port.
The Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen carried out a limited airstrike in December targeting foreign military support at the Port of Mukalla in the Hadramaut governorate, where calm has been restored after a period of tension.
In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency following the strikes, coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Maliki said two ships coming from the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates entered the Port of Mukalla without obtaining official permits from the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition.
“The crews of the two ships disabled their tracking systems and unloaded a large quantity of weapons and combat vehicles to support the Southern Transitional Council forces in the eastern governorates of Yemen (Hadramaut and Al-Mahra) with the aim of fueling the conflict. This is a clear violation of the truce and the pursuit of a peaceful solution, as well as a violation of UN Security Council Resolution No. 2216,” said the spokesman.