Council news

Appointment of Dr.Atef Alrashidi as Executive President Of the Gulf Monetary Council

The Board of Directors of the Gulf Monetary Council, chaired by Dr. Mohammad bin Yousef Al-Hashel, Governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait and Chairman of the Board, has appointed Dr. Atef Saleh Alrashidi as Executive President of the Gulf Monetary Council, effective June 1, 2018.

The Gulf Monetary Council is a four-member organization (Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia) mandated to prepare the required infrastructure for establishing the Monetary Union.

Dr. Alrashidi, a Saudi national, holds a PhD in Economics from Oklahoma State University and two Master's degrees specializing in monetary policy and international trade.

Dr. Alrashidi has many years of experience at senior level, having worked previously for the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) and the Gulf Monetary Council. He was a member of the Monetary Policy Committee at SAMA as well as the Financial Stability Committee and the Business Continuity and Risk Committee.

At the Gulf Monetary Council, Dr. Alrashidi was Head of the Economic Research and Statistics Unit and Secretary of the Board of Directors. Dr. Alrashidi has published several research papers and working documents.

Gulf Monetary Council and the World Bank Group sign a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation

On 21 February 2016, Raja M. Almarzoqi, President of the Gulf Monetary Council (GMCO), and Nadir A. Mohammed, Country Director- GCC countries in the World Bank Group (WBG),signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Riyadh, on strengthening collaboration.

The Memorandum of Understanding covers mutually agreed areas such as technical discussion, advisory services, secondments, training, seminars, workshops or joint research in mutually agreed areas.​

Gulf Monetary Council and European Central Bank sign a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation

On 13 January 2016, Raja M. Almarzoqi, President of the Gulf Monetary Council (GMCO), and Mario Draghi, President of the European Central Bank (ECB), signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Frankfurt am Main on technical cooperation.​

The Memorandum o​f Understanding provides a framework for an exchange of information, and technical cooperation between the two institutions. Technical cooperation may take the form of, among other things, joint seminars and workshops in areas of mutual interest in the field of central banking and monetary integration.​

The Gulf Monetary Council and the European Central Bank sign a memorandum of understanding for cooperation

The Gulf Monetary Council and the European Central Bank sign a memorandum of understanding for cooperation

Appointment of the President of Gulf Monetary Council

The Gulf Monetary Council (GMCO) announces the appointment of His Excellency Dr. Raja Bin Monahi Al-Marzoqi Al-Baqmi as President of the GMCO, as from October 1st 2015 (18th Zulhijah 1437). He is the successor of His Excellency Dr. Khalid Mohammed Al-Saad. It is worth mentioning that His Excellency Dr. Raja Bin Monahi Al-Marzoqi Al-Baqmi is a Saudi citizen, holding Ph.D. in Economics; and he had assumed a number of posts, the last of which was an Economic Advisor at the International Monetary Fund. He had also worked as a Plenipotentiary Minister at the Monetary Union Unit of the Secretariat General of the Gulf Cooperation Council. He has supervised and conducted many studies related to GMCO, apart from undertaking many academic, advisory and supervisory posts.

On this occasion, GMCO's Board of Directors records its great thanks and appreciation to H.E. Dr. Khalid Mohammed Abdullah Al Saad for the outstanding efforts and various contributions made by him during his presidency term of the Executive Organ of GMCO over a three-year period that witnessed the launch of the GMCO's business in the area of institutional and organizational establishment. We wish him very good health and further success. GMCO is also looking forward to making further achievements over the coming period under the presidency of its new President for the development of GMCO's business march for realizing its cherished objectives.​