The World Bank has appointed a new country director for Egypt, Yemen and Djibouti.
Hartwig Schafer, the new director, will be based in Cairo, the bank announced in a press release on Thursday.
According to the press release, Schafer, a German national, has worked for over 23 years in professional and managerial positions in the World Bank and the European Commission.
Schafer previously held the position of director of operations and strategy in the African region for the World Bank from 2006 to 2008. He was also the World Bank’s country director for Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and the chief administrative officer for the Africa Region.
In his previous posts, Schafer has helped coordinate projects on climate change, sustainable infrastructure, agriculture and food security.
Schafer holds a doctorate in economics, a master’s in agricultural economics and an engineering degree in agriculture.
The World Bank helps administer development projects in Egypt. Currently, the Bank is managing a total of 17 projects through the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. For these projects, it has committed a total of US$3.8 billion, according to the World Bank website.
The projects in Egypt are aimed at helping develop the power, transport, financial, agriculture and social sectors, and at helping improve water, sanitation and the environment.
