Pakistani enters ranks of Young Global Leaders

Drawn from a pool of 7,000 candidates, Dr Ibrahim remains committed to the development of his homeland.

Dr Ali Adnan Ibrahim is an inspiration, in more ways than one.

Yes, his credentials are impressive. And yes, he is one of the 12 successful professionals selected from the Middle East and North Africa region for the Young Global Leaders (YGL) Class of 2013 by the World Economic Forum – the only Pakistani named from outside Pakistan.

However, accolades alone cannot harness the attention of a truly global fan base.

It is his passion to fight poverty, the unique perspective and insight he brings forth, that makes believers out of us – and out of the YGL selection committee.

Drawn from a pool of several thousand candidates, and chosen by a committee chaired by Queen Rania alAbdullah of Jordan, Dr Ibrahim will attend the annual YGL summit in Yangon, Myanmar in June. The programme will include meetings with government representatives, the business community and civil society; first-hand experience of working with local organisations; and workshops and cross-mentorship initiatives.

Today, Dr Ibrahim is a senior executive at one of the largest Islamic banks in Bahrain, specialising in economic development, finance and Islamic banking. Seemingly, each step to get there required unrelenting determination. He completed his initial law degree, focused on Shariah and Pakistan law, from the International Islamic University in Islamabad, and then went on to top law schools in the United States, supported by the Fulbright program as the first Pakistani to win the prestigious scholarship for law.



During his studies, Dr Ibrahim was invited to design and teach a course in Islamic finance law at Georgetown University’s law school, where he continues to be an adjunct professor of law. Since then, as a transactional lawyer in global law firms, Dr Ibrahim worked on several multibillion dollar projects, paying close attention to structuring large Islamic finance transactions.

However, despite his professional achievements within corporate landscape, it is his economic development initiatives for Pakistan and other developing countries that set him apart.

He has twice served as co-chair of the Islamic Finance Committee of the American Bar Association and currently serves as its senior adviser. He is also a member of the Bar in Pakistan, and an advocate of the Supreme Court in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Additionally, his ideas on Islamic microfinance, finance, its regulation, and comparative corporate governance have been published internationally.

As a 2013 honouree, he remains committed to using his global experience and recognition for the welfare of the financially challenged, and contributing to the economic development of Pakistan.

So, yes, Dr Ibrahim is a YGL– a young global leader in every sense of the word.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2013.

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