MENA HPF Team

Dr. Maha AlShalkamy is the Executive Director of MENA HPF and an economist with extensive experience in macroeconomic policy, socioeconomic development, and public policy advisory. She holds a BA, MA, and PhD in Economics, completed in 2011.

From 2005 to 2018, Dr. AlShalkamy taught economics at several leading academic institutions, including the American University in Cairo, the British University in Egypt, and the American University of the Middle East in Kuwait. Her academic work focused on macroeconomics and development economics, contributing to both teaching and research in these fields.

Between 2007 and 2018, she served as both a part-time and full-time Senior Macroeconomic Advisor and Consultant to Egypt’s Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Investment, and the Ministry of International Cooperation. In this role, she contributed to economic policy analysis, reform initiatives, and national development strategies.

Alongside her leadership at MENA HPF, Dr. AlShalkamy serves as a part-time Socioeconomic Advisor with several national and international organizations, including the United Nations, UNDP, MRU, IOM, BASEERA, FEPS, UN Women, WeCAN, and FAO. She is also a member of WeCAN FAO, WOCAN, and the MENA Women’s Coalition.

Her work focuses on macroeconomic policy, inclusive growth, gender equality, climate change, and environmental sustainability. Dr. AlShalkamy actively contributes to regional policy dialogue and capacity-building initiatives, delivering lectures and policy discussions at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in Cairo and serving as a Senior Mentor at AWTAD.

Mireille Ramez Refaat is an Administrative Assistant at MENA HPF with a strong academic and professional background in economics, quantitative analysis, and biological sciences. She holds a double Bachelor’s degree in Quantitative and Financial Economics and Cell and Molecular Biology from the American University in Cairo (AUC).

She has built experience in economic research and policy analysis through roles with the World Bank Group, AUC, Beltone Holding, and the GS4S Project at Radboud University. Her work has focused on labor market dynamics, skills development, and policy research across the MENA region.

Since joining MENA HPF, Mireille has been responsible for managing correspondence, scheduling appointments, preparing reports and presentations, and supporting institutional coordination and meeting arrangements. Her role contributes to ensuring smooth administrative operations and effective internal communication within the organization.

Kareem Ashraf is a Cairo-based Full Stack Developer with over 10 years of experience in web and software development. He holds a degree in Computer Science from Shorouk Academy and specializes in back-end development, APIs, third-party integrations, and database management.

He has held senior developer and technical leadership roles across multiple technology companies in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, where he contributed to building and maintaining scalable digital systems and enterprise-level applications.

Since joining MENA HPF, Kareem is responsible for managing and maintaining the Forum’s digital infrastructure and IT operations, ensuring stable performance, system reliability, and seamless technical support for regional health policy activities.

Tarek Hein Ahmed is a Chartered Accountant with a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, specializing in Accounting from Cairo University. He has developed a strong foundation in financial administration and social affairs management throughout his career.

He previously served in several progressive roles within the Cairo Governorate’s Directorate of Social Affairs, in addition to working as an accountant for various civil society organizations across Egypt. His experience spans financial operations, institutional reporting, and compliance-focused accounting practices.

Since joining MENA HPF, Tarek is responsible for managing financial operations, ensuring accurate financial reporting, and maintaining full compliance with relevant accounting standards and regulatory requirements.

Reda Ibrahim Mohamed is a Certified Public Accountant (License No. 19620) and a member of the Egyptian Tax Association with extensive experience in financial auditing and accounting practices.

He has previously served as an auditor for several major national trade unions as well as sports and media institutions in Egypt, where he contributed to ensuring financial accuracy and compliance with regulatory standards.

Since joining MENA HPF, Reda is responsible for overseeing financial operations, preparing accurate financial reports, and maintaining the organization’s fiscal integrity through structured planning and strict compliance with accounting and regulatory requirements.