John Sfakianakis

Chief Economist and Head of Research
Gulf Research Center, Saudi Arabia

John Sfakianakis is the Chief Economist and Head of Research of the Gulf Research Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and a Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University (OCIS), and an Associate Fellow at Chatham House, London. He's also a board member of Societe General Saudi Arabia. Previously he was Middle East Director of the Ashmore Group (FTSE 100 firm). His other former positions have included chief investment strategist, MASIC, a Saudi family-owned investment company; chief economic adviser to the Saudi Ministry of Finance; group general manager and chief economist, Middle East North Africa region for Credit Agricole C.I.B.; chief economist, Saudi British Bank (SABB/HSBC); and chief regional economist, Samba Financial Group. He also has served as adviser at the Ministry of Economy and Planning in Saudi Arabia and as economist at the United Nations (UNDP) and the World Bank. He has been educated at the London School of Economics, Harvard and the University of London.