Mohammad Shtayyeh


Dr. Mohammad Shtayyeh is the Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority and an economic expert born in Tell, Nablus, in 1958. He served as minister of public works and housing, and minister of the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction and holds a doctorate in economic development from the University of Sussex. He worked as a professor and dean at Birzeit University and has published several books on economics, politics and history.

Education

Shtayyeh hold a bachelor's degree in business administration and economics from Birzeit University, graduating in 1981. He then attended the Institute for Development Studies as Sussex University in Brighton, United Kingdom for his PhD in economic development, receiving his degree in 1989.

Career

Shtayyeh served as a professor of economic development from 1989 to 1991 at Birzeit University in Birzeit, Palestine. He later became dean of student affairs there until 1993.
From 1994 to 1996, Shtayyeh served as director of administration and finance for the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction. In this role, he maintained donor databases and provided financing for development projects funded by the organization; monitored and reported on all project allocations and utilization; and established transparent and sound financial management and reporting systems recognized by international partners and donors. He was then appointed as a minister, currently serving in this position since 1996, and manages an investment fund worth over $1.6 billion and is responsible for implementing and monitoring all national projects for Palestine funded by the Palestinian National Authority and international partners.
From 1995 until 1998, Shtayyeh held the position of secretary-general of the Palestinian National Authority central elections commission. Since 2005, Shtayyeh has been the Palestinian governor for the Islamic Bank. From 2005-2006 and then again from 2008-2010, he was the minister of public works and housing.

Peace negotiations

Shtayyeh's has an extensive experience in the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations. He is involved in the negotiations since the Madrid Conference of 1991 and was a member of the Palestinian negotiation delegation on several occasions. As Secretary-General of the Central Elections Commission of Palestine, Shtayyeh achieved an agreement with Israel in order to cooperate in the conduct of Palestinian presidential and legislative elections.

Prime Minister of Palestine

Since he was instated as the prime minister of Palestine in April 2019, he was engaged in the peace negotiations between Hamas who rule the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian Government which is present in the West Bank. He also managed to reach an agreement with Iraq to import Iraqi oil for a lower price than what the Government paid before to Israel. He also views the Israeli presence in Palestine as a form of colonialism.

Community Service