Reem El-Saady

Independent Board Member, Head of MENA SME Funding, EBRD

Reem El Saady joined EBRD in May 2012 and is currently the Regional Principal Manager for the SMEs Finance and Development (Advisory) Program for Egypt and the Levant. The
program supports the growth of small business with special focus on women and Youth.

Prior to joining EBRD Ms. EL Saady worked as an advisor to the Minister of Investment and had during her work at the Ministry established both “Bedaya Centre for Entrepreneurship
and SMEs Development” as well as “Bedaya Fund for SMEs Development” – one of the first on-shore private equity funds dedicated for financing SMEs and innovative start-ups.
During the period from 2010 to March 2012, she was the board member and CEO of “Bedaya” – Private Equity Fund for SMEs financing.
El Saady was also an appointed member in the Technical Committee established by HE the Minister of Trade and Industry in 2017 to design the organizational structure for the new
National SMEs Development Agency.

Reem El Saady was during the period from 1996 to 2009 the Lead Program Coordinator of the Egyptian Swiss Development Fund – a special fund dedicated to support the socioeconomic development of underserved communities and the empowerment of women.

She holds a BA and MA in economics from the American University in Cairo and is currently a PHD candidate at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science finalizing her thesis on the
Egyptian SMEs in an Era of Reforms.