Mohammed Khalfan Bin Kharbash

Mohammed Khalfan Bin Kharbash (c. 1955 – March 12, 2016) was a prominent Emirati economist and government official who served as the Minister of Finance and Industry of the United Arab Emirates from 1997 to 2007.

Born in Dubai, he had a distinguished academic background, earning a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Boston University in 1979, followed by a Master's degree in Public Finance from the same institution in 1982, and a PhD in Economics from Exeter University in the United Kingdom in 1991. He was also a visiting researcher at Harvard University in 1994.

During his career, he held numerous key positions in both the public and private sectors. He began as the Director of the Investment Department at the UAE Ministry of Finance in 1980 and later became the Assistant Undersecretary for Revenue and Budget Affairs in 1992.

In 1997, he was appointed Minister of State for Finance and Industry, a position he held until 2006. In addition to his ministerial role, he chaired the boards of important financial and industrial institutions, including Dubai Islamic Bank and Emirates Industrial Bank. He also held executive roles in Emirates General Petroleum Corporation, Emaar Properties, Tabreed, and Real Estate Bank, among others.

He represented the UAE as the alternating governor at major international financial organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, and the Islamic Development Bank.

He chaired the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Annual Meetings held in Hong Kong in 1997 and headed the G11 Financial Committee of the IMF. He passed away in 2016, leaving behind a legacy as one of the key architects of the UAE’s modern financial and economic institutions.