IMF MD Appoints Zeine Zeidane as Director of African Department

Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), announced today her intention to appoint Zeine Zeidane as the next Director of the IMF’s African Department (AFR). Mr. Zeidane will succeed Abebe Aemro Selassie, who is set to retire from the Fund on May 1, 2026.

“I have informed the Executive Board of my intention to appoint Zeine Zeidane as the Director of the African Department,” Ms. Georgieva said. “Zeine will bring deep institutional knowledge, sound judgment, and strong policymaking experience to the department as it continues to respond to sub-Saharan Africa’s growing demands for tailored policy advice, financing, and capacity development.”

A Mauritanian national, Mr. Zeidane has over twenty years of experience in macroeconomic policymaking, financial governance, and international economic cooperation. He currently serves as Deputy Director in the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia Department (MCD), where he oversees the Fund’s engagement with major economies in the Gulf region. In this role, he has helped deepen strategic partnerships with regional stakeholders and played a pivotal part in establishing the IMF Regional Office in Riyadh in 2024.

Prior to his current position, Mr. Zeidane served as Deputy Director in the African Department, where he was closely involved in some of the largest and most complex IMF operations across sub-Saharan Africa. His work included shaping policies to meet the region’s evolving needs, including reforms to concessional lending frameworks and enhancements to the Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust (CCRT) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. Zeidane’s career demonstrates a strong ability to link country-level experience with institutional priorities. While serving in the Strategy, Policy, and Review Department (SPR), he led the 2018 Governance Policy initiative, which aimed to strengthen institutional effectiveness and accountability across IMF operations.

Before joining the IMF in 2012, Mr. Zeidane held senior economic policymaking roles in Mauritania, including Prime Minister, Governor of the Central Bank, and Economic Advisor to the President. His career also includes positions at the World Bank and in commercial banking, providing him with a well-rounded perspective on policy design, implementation, and international financial engagement.

“Zeine’s calm and measured approach has proven especially effective in addressing difficult and sensitive challenges,” Ms. Georgieva added. “I am confident that he will successfully lead AFR with a shared sense of purpose in advancing its mandate and serving our membership.”

Mr. Zeidane holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics and a postgraduate degree in Macroeconomics from the University of Nice, equipping him with a strong analytical foundation to address complex economic challenges across the African continent.