Asmaa ElGanainy

Asmaa El-Ganainy serves as Division Chief and IMF Mission Chief for Iran and Bahrain at the International Monetary Fund, where she has established herself as a leading expert in sovereign debt and public finance. After earning her PhD and MA in Economics from Georgia State University, she has built an impressive career at the IMF spanning multiple departments since 2007. Her expertise encompasses crisis management, evidenced through her work on Greece during the 2010 European sovereign debt crisis, and policy development across advanced, emerging, and low-income economies. As co-author of "In Defense of Public Debt" and co-editor of "How to Achieve Inclusive Growth," she has significantly influenced understanding of public debt's historical role and inclusive economic development. Her research portfolio spans sovereign debt, public finance, capital flows, and labor economics, with contributions to IMF surveillance, lending, research, and capacity development activities. Through her current leadership role in the Middle East and Central Asia Department, she continues to shape economic policy while maintaining active research in areas critical to global economic stability.