Roya Rahmani

Roya Rahmani is an accomplished leader in global affairs, development policy, and strategic advocacy. As Director of Global Engagement at the World Bank Group, she leads efforts to build and scale strategic partnerships to advance the Bank Group’s priorities worldwide.

With over 20 years of experience at the intersection of diplomacy, development finance, and civic leadership, Rahmani has held prominent roles across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. As Chairwoman of Delphos International, she directed strategic growth and stakeholder engagement to support financing solutions for critical infrastructure and development projects in emerging markets.

She holds the historic distinction of being Afghanistan’s first female Ambassador to both the United States and Indonesia, as well as the country’s first accredited Ambassador to ASEAN. Earlier in her career, she served as Director General for Regional Cooperation at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she launched and led the Heart of Asia–Istanbul Process to promote regional collaboration and economic integration.

Rahmani also has extensive experience in the nonprofit and multilateral sectors, leading multi-country programs, advancing institutional reform, and advising international organizations including NATO and the United Nations. Her work has included collaborations with global and grassroots partners on post-conflict reconstruction, governance, and women’s empowerment.

She holds a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from McGill University. Her global leadership has been recognized with multiple honors.