Dr. Omar Razzaz is the former Prime Minister of Jordan (2018-2020) and is currently a Senior Fellow at the Middle East Initiative (MEI) at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and a Board Member of ANERA. His career is diverse and spans the public sector, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, international organizations, and academia. Before becoming Prime Minister, he served as Jordan’s Minister of Education (2017 -2018). He was also the Director General of Jordan's Social Security Corporation (2006 -2010).
Razzaz helped establish and served as the Chairman of the Jordan Strategy Forum, a leading think tank on economic development in Jordan. In the private sector, Razzaz served as Chairman of Jordan Ahli Bank. He also was a member of several civic organizations including the National Center for Human Rights. Outside of Jordan, Razzaz joined the World Bank through the Yong Professionals Program and moved through various positions and regions, ending with Country Manager of the Lebanon Office (1993 -2006). In academia, Razzaz was the Ford Chair/ Assistant Professor at MIT in International Development and Regional Planning Program (1991-93, 1995-97).
He holds a Master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning from MIT (1987); a PhD in Planning from Harvard University, with a minor in Economics (1991); and a Post-Doctorate from Harvard Law School (1992).
