Firas Raad

Mr. Firas Raad is the World Bank Division Director for Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, effective May 1, 2026. Mr. Raad, a Jordanian national, has nearly 30 years of experience as a development and health policy professional working for the World Bank Group, the United Nations, and with the Jordanian Government.

He most recently served as the World Bank Country Manager for Malawi. His previous positions in the World Bank included serving as a Country Manager for South Sudan, Malaysia, and Kuwait. He also served as Head of Mission for the Office of the Quartet Representative in East Jerusalem (while on secondment from the World Bank) – and as a Human Development Coordinator for the GCC Countries and Senior Health Specialist in the World Bank's Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region.

Mr. Raad is based in Dar es Salaam, where he oversees a Bank-supported portfolio of $14.1 billion across the four countries, with investments spanning infrastructure, human capital, private sector development, climate, and gender.

He has a Doctorate and Master's Degree in International Health Policy and Economics from the Harvard School of Public Health; a Master's Degree in International Relations (with a focus on Macroeconomics and Middle Eastern Studies) from the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from Johns Hopkins University. He speaks Arabic and English.