ALI KAMEL ALl

Senior Associate, Economic Growth Group

GETTING TO KNOW ALI KAMEL

For 25 years, Kamel worked in U.S. Agency for International Development’s Cairo Office of Economic Growth. He specialized in implementing medium and large developmental projects related to agriculture reform; evaluating economic, commercial, trade, fiscal and legal/regulatory requirements; designing large activities in economic growth areas; and managing large economic reform activities that were newly implemented.

Kamel is a two-time recipient of the Foreign Service National of the Year Award that acknowledges sustained outstanding performance and contribution to success in public financial management and program management.

Kamel earned a B.S. degree in agricultural economics from Cairo University as well as a M.S. degree in agricultural economics from Michigan State University. He was also a PhD candidate at Michigan State. He completed post graduate studies at Harvard University and the University of Colorado. Since 2014, Kamel has joined Creative Associates International as the Principal Economic Advisor.

Kamel is fluent in Arabic and English and knows basic German.

Please tell us about your area(s) of expertise.

I am an economic development expert and senior economic growth advisor. I have more than 30 years of experience managing and implementing programs in economic growth, agricultural development, capacity building and competitiveness projects. In addition, my work has focused on reforming policies related to agriculture, economic policy, finance, administration and human resources. 

Do you have an accomplishment, programmatic result or activity that you are particularly proud of?

While working at the U.S. Agency for International Development, I received the global Foreign Service National of the Year Award twice in 1992 and 2013. Earning the award two decades a part demonstrates my consistency and longevity.

The Foreign Service National of the Year acknowledgement is awarded for sustained outstanding performance and contribution to success in public financial management and program management. My team and I demonstrated hard work while completing projects and our impact on agriculture and economic growth is sustained in communities abroad.

Another accomplishment is working successfully for seven years with the Creative team to support farmers and vulnerable populations in Asia and in the Dry Corridor in Honduras.

For the Dry Corridor in Honduras, we were able to support 6,000 households to increase their income and improve their socio-economic livelihoods. These are subsistence farmers, as we provided tools to improve production and irrigation practices to increase yields. Water, hygiene nutrition and sanitation activities were provided to improve their standards of living. We provided new irrigation techniques and built water reservoirs to allow irrigation during dry seasons.

In Asia, we supported over 4,000 vulnerable people to better realize their comparative advantages value chains. We supported them to transfer comparative advantages to competitive advantages. The project activities increased incomes, created jobs, and improved marketing and quality of products and services

Do you have a favorite, unique or fascinating story about your work in development?

The nickname “Samurai of Reform” was once given to me by colleagues. The agricultural policy and sector was strongly controlled by government laws and regulations, but our team was able to significantly reform and liberalize the sector.

What is it that drew you to the company?
Creative has a great reputation and emphasis on teamwork. I’m proud to be a part of teams that contribute to Creative’s impact across 26 countries.

  • EXPERTISE:

    Economic Growth

  • DISCIPLINES:

    Agricultural Development, Economics, Policy Reform

  • EDUCATION:

    Post-graduate studies in Macroeconomic and Food Policy, Harvard Institute for International Development | Graduate Studies in World Banking and Finance, University of Colorado, Boulder | AbD in Economics, Michigan State University | MS in Agricultural Economics, Michigan State University | Georgetown University Law Center, International Law Institute | BSN in Agricultural Economics, Cairo University

  • DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE:

    USAID Egypt, 1989 – 2014

  • LANGUAGES:

    Arabic, English, Basic German

  • PUBLICATIONS:
    •  “Micro-Level Research in Developing Countries Using Database Management Systems” Thesis, Ali Kamel, Michigan State University, 1986 “Financial Reforms and Rural Credit: The PBDAC’s Evolving Role” ​Dale W. Adams and Ali Kamel, 1996 (in Egypt’s Agriculture in a Reform Era), Iowa State University
    • “Formal and Informal Finance in Rural Egypt”, Ali Kamel 1989, incomplete/unpublished PhD Dissertation, Michigan State University
    • “Lessons Learned: Government to Government (G2G) Implementing and Funding Mechanisms Implementation Letters.” William Butterfield and Ali   Kamel, USAID/RDMA Economists Workshop, 2013
    • “Cost Reimbursement Projects and Implementation Letters”, Unpublished Manual, 2012
    • “Chronology of Economic Reform in Egypt- a Chapter in Inclusive Growth Diagnostic Study- “, co-author, USAID Egypt, 2014
    • “Is Non-Inclusive Economic Growth Sufficient for Stability” Ali Kamel Ali, Creative Associates International, February 2015
    • “The Path to Youth Engagement and Empowerment in Jordan” Ali Kamel Ali, Creative Associates International, February 2016

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