Omar Shaban
Omar Shaban joined the Institute in 2024. He is the founder and director of Palthink for Strategic Studies and a senior analyst and development expert with extensive experience in Palestine. His expertise includes democracy and governance, institutional development, humanitarian and emergency responses, microfinance, community development, MEAL, and fundraising. Omar has been involved in conflict resolution and national reconciliation efforts in Palestine for 15 years and has worked with numerous donors and international agencies.
In 2013, he served as a national expert and part of the international team on the “Evaluation of the European Union’s cooperation with the occupied Palestinian territory and support to the Palestinian people”. Omar led humanitarian and emergency programmes for Catholic Relief Services in Gaza for ten years and worked with UNRWA for another ten. He frequently speaks at conferences in Europe and the USA on the Middle East peace process and the Gaza/Palestinian economy.
Omar’s significant work includes creating a reconciliation blueprint between Hamas and Fatah, supported by the Swiss government. He has published numerous articles and policy papers in international magazines and newspapers. He holds a BA from Egypt (1984), an MSc in Entrepreneurial Studies from the University of Stirling, UK (1995), and a master’s in Development from the Geneva Graduate Institute (2023). Omar was born in Gaza in 1962 and resides there.