logo
New Middle East and Global leaders appointed at Strategy&

New Middle East and Global leaders appointed at Strategy&

Al Bawaba30-06-2025
Jad Hajj has been appointed as the new Leader for Strategy& Middle East, part of the PwC network, marking a key milestone in the firm's leadership evolution.Jad has assumed this leadership role and is now officially part of the firm's leadership team. As a Partner and the former head of the region's Technology, Media, Telecommunications, and Digital practice, Jad brings extensive expertise and a strong track record of advancing the firm's growth.'Jad's appointment marks an exciting next chapter for Strategy& in the Middle East. He brings the right blend of experience, sector insight, and a strong focus on client outcomes. Under his leadership, I am confident we will continue to expand our regional capabilities and help our clients navigate complex and impactful transformations,' said Hani Ashkar, PwC Middle East Senior Partner.Jad takes over from George Sarraf, who was appointed in 2018 and played a pivotal role in the growth and institutional development of the Strategy& business in the Middle East. In turn, George will assume his new role as the Global Strategy& Leader in July 2025, while continuing to engage with clients in the region. 'Under George's leadership, Strategy& Middle East experienced considerable growth. He guided the business through a period of transformation, expanding sector capabilities and reinforced our position as a trusted advisor across the region. As he takes on the global role, George will further strengthen Strategy& as a distinctive part within our advisory business,' said Damir Maras, Global Advisory Leader, PwC.
Active in the Middle East since the 1970s, Strategy& was the first global management consulting firm to open offices in 1993, starting in Abu Dhabi, followed by Dubai, Beirut, Riyadh, Cairo, and Doha. With over 900 employees, Strategy& brings deep expertise to enable transformative impact for clients in the region across multiple sectors and industries including Consumer and Retail, Culture and Entertainment, Energy, Resources, and Sustainability, Government and Public Sector, Health, Multisector Investment, Real Estate, Technology and Digital Services, Travel and Tourism.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

How Gaza occupation could drain Israel's economy?
How Gaza occupation could drain Israel's economy?

Al Bawaba

time2 hours ago

  • Al Bawaba

How Gaza occupation could drain Israel's economy?

ALBAWABA - Israel is getting ready for its first general strike on August 17. Families of prisoners and a number of social groups that want the war to end are leading the protests. Also Read Israeli airstrike kills Palestinian journalist Anas Al-Sharif Even more people are afraid that the conflict will get worse, which will hurt both people and the economy. At first, the Histadrut labor group was supposed to take part, but it pulled out for a number of reasons. The people who are organizing the strike say that keeping the war going will make the country's economic and social problems worse, in addition to the moral need to free the prisoners. Last week, the security cabinet agreed to go ahead with taking Gaza City as part of a larger military offensive against Hamas. This made people even more worried. Experts say that even a limited stay will cost a lot, with new taxes, longer tax freezes, and big cuts to infrastructure, healthcare, education, and welfare. The Finance Ministry is looking at the prices of recent operations, such as "Gideon's Chariots," which ended after three months. The Defense Ministry and the Finance Ministry have already agreed to give an extra 42 billion shekels over the next two years, with 28 billion shekels coming in 2025. This will be used to pay for the operation in Gaza and another battle against Iran. Government officials say, though, that there has been no real talk in the government or the Knesset about how the occupation of Gaza will affect the country's finances in the long run. It is thought that calling up a quarter of a million reservists before the end of the year would cost 7.5 billion shekels per month. Other costs like fuel, ammo, and emergency help could add another 12–15 billion shekels per month. Former IDF budget chief Brig. Gen. (Res.) Ram Aminach warned that under international law, Israel would have to provide all civil services in Gaza after the war, including water, sanitation, electricity, healthcare, and more, without being able to collect local taxes or rely on foreign aid. «احتلال غزة» ليس مجرد معركة عسكرية.. إسرائيل على أعتاب حرب اقتصادية قد لا تنتهي! فهل تتحول «أعباء القطاع» إلى «فاتورة تل أبيب»؟

Jordan, Egypt sign agreements to boost cooperation, multi-sector partnerships
Jordan, Egypt sign agreements to boost cooperation, multi-sector partnerships

Jordan Times

time4 hours ago

  • Jordan Times

Jordan, Egypt sign agreements to boost cooperation, multi-sector partnerships

AMMAN — Jordan and Egypt on Tuesday concluded the 33rd session of their Joint Higher Committee by signing nine agreements aimed at enhancing cooperation across multiple sectors. The meeting was co-chaired by Prime Minister Jafar Hassan and Egypt Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly. The agreements span key areas including energy, electricity interconnection, investment, industry, tourism, transport, and transit. Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to building on their longstanding fraternal ties, guided by His Majesty King Abdullah and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, to promote mutual interests, according to a Prime Ministry statement. Prime Minister Hassan described Jordan-Egypt relations as a benchmark for Arab cooperation, highlighting that regular committee meetings since 1985 have deepened collaboration across numerous fields. He also pointed to continuous growth in trade volumes, increasing Jordanian private sector investment in Egypt, and expanding opportunities in tourism, transport, and transit. Hassan emphasised the shared commitment to broadening cooperation in energy and electricity networks, including activating the trilateral mechanism involving Iraq. Addressing economic challenges common to both countries, he stressed that creating job opportunities for youth is a top priority underpinning the Economic Modernisation Vision, which seeks to attract investment, stimulate growth, and boost employment, the statement said. On regional matters, Hassan affirmed that Jordan and Egypt stand united on key challenges, foremost the Palestinian cause and the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza. Both prime ministers condemned the "brutal" conflict, called for intensified efforts to end the aggression, ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid, reject starvation tactics in Gaza, and oppose provocative actions in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Hassan lauded Egypt's significant role in Gaza, noting ongoing coordination at leadership and ministerial levels, according to the statement. Regarding Syria, Hassan reaffirmed Jordan's support for the new Syrian government's efforts to restore security, stability, and prosperity, and to address pressing challenges through cooperation. Madbouly highlighted the deep-rooted bilateral relations and voiced Egypt's eagerness to remove obstacles hindering economic cooperation, citing energy, gas supply, and electricity interconnection as exemplary areas of partnership. He also affirmed both countries' rejection of any attempts to alter the demographic or geographic status in Gaza or the West Bank. Madbouly stressed that Egypt and Jordan maintain full coordination on developments in Gaza, the West Bank, and other regional issues. The agreements signed include an executive programme for scientific cooperation between Jordan's Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation and Egypt's National Planning Institute; an executive programme between Jordan's Free and Development Zones Group and Egypt's General Authority for Investment and Free Zones and a memorandum of understanding on consumer protection, according to the statement. Additional agreements cover cooperation in local development, protecting cultural heritage and combating illicit antiquities trade, a memorandum of understanding between the finance ministries of the two countries, an executive programme for youth cooperation (2025–2028), a programme to implement a memorandum of understanding between the ministries of Awqaf (religious endowments) and an agreement on government procurement cooperation.

Lebanese craftsman keeps up tradition of tarboosh hat-making
Lebanese craftsman keeps up tradition of tarboosh hat-making

Jordan Times

time4 hours ago

  • Jordan Times

Lebanese craftsman keeps up tradition of tarboosh hat-making

TRIPOLI, Lebanon — Nestled among shops in a bustling market in north Lebanon's Tripoli, Mohammed Al Shaar is at his workshop making traditional tarboosh hats, keeping up a family craft despite dwindling demand. With a thimble on one finger, Shaar, 38, cuts, sews and carefully assembles the pieces of the conical, flat-topped felt hat also known as a fez, attaching a tassel to the top. Reputedly the last tarboosh craftsman in Lebanon, the Tripoli native has been making the hats for 25 years in know-how passed on by his grandfather. "Our family has been carrying on this craft for 125 years," said Shaar, who also studied tarboosh making in Egypt. The brimless hats made with maroon, black or green felt, some bearing floral motifs or embroidered with Lebanon's national emblem, the cedar, sit on display in the small workshop. While the tarboosh has been around in Lebanon for several centuries, it became particularly common during the late Ottoman period. "The tarboosh used to have great value -- it was part of day-to-day dress, and the Lebanese were proud of it," Shaar said, noting the hat now is largely seen as a traditional item or appealing to tourists. "Nowadays, people barely wear the tarboosh, except for traditional events," he said. As well as a onetime symbol of prestige or social status, the hat was used for non-verbal communication, Shaar said. "When a man wanted to woo a beautiful young woman, he used to slightly tip his tarboosh to the left or right," he said, while knocking someone's tarboosh off was offensive. As successive crises have hit Lebanon, including a catastrophic 2020 port explosion in Beirut and a recent war between Israel and Hizbollah, tourism has diminished. Shaar said his "work has slowed, and demand for the tarboosh has dropped" as a result. Sales have plummeted to just four or five of his handmade hats a month compared to around 50 before the crisis, he said. Recent customers have mainly been music and dance troops, or religious figures who wear the tarboosh covered with a turban. Shaar said he used to employ three others but now works alone, selling his handmade hats for around $30. But he said he wasn't about to close up shop or abandon his passion for tarboosh making. "I feel like my soul is linked to this craft. I don't want to shut or to stop working," he said.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store