Lara Saade

Leading the World Bank's Governance communications team. The Governance strategy focuses on financial management, taxation, state owned enterprises, decentralization, accounting, govtech, open government, anticorruption, openness, transparency, procurement and political economy analysis. I advise the Global Directors and technical experts on strategic communications, managing reputational risks and outreach to media and civil society.

Worked on the World Bank-Saudi G20 Engagement and Capacity Building program. Contributed to the development of the Kuwait Country Engagement Framework, leading the cross-cutting gender component, while also leading the consultations process, where the Bank team engaged over 100 officials across several stakeholder groups. Also supported the work on the Human Capital Project in Kuwait.

Provided strategic support on reputational risk issues, internal & external communications and was the civil society & foundations focal point. Supported the CEO’s efforts to build political and financial support for the Bank and articulate the role of the Bank as a job generator for rich and poor countries; helping create more dynamism around debates on development by contributing to efforts to bring fresh perspectives on global development issues to the Bank and engaging the think tanks in… Show more

Provided strategic support on reputational risk issues, internal & external communications and was the civil society & foundations focal point. Supported the CEO’s efforts to build political and financial support for the Bank and articulate the role of the Bank as a job generator for rich and poor countries; helping create more dynamism around debates on development by contributing to efforts to bring fresh perspectives on global development issues to the Bank and engaging the think tanks in the process; and identifying opportunities for building and strengthening partnerships. Show less

Advised regional management on high-level project-related issues. Led on strategic media positioning for the MENA region including on high profile issues and projects. Managed media engagement, outreach and training. Chaired shortlisting and interviewing committees for communication staffing positions.

Helped develop a comprehensive program of World Bank support for the Indonesian Female Migrant Workers. Contributed to the Malaysia-Indonesia Remittances Corridor Study. Led Freedom of Information Bank-related activities which included mobilizing donors and local partners; facilitating dialogue between CSOs and donors. Conducted research and produced a Watch Brief on Islam and Governance and the link to economic development. Supported the budget oversight capacity building program for… Show more

Helped develop a comprehensive program of World Bank support for the Indonesian Female Migrant Workers. Contributed to the Malaysia-Indonesia Remittances Corridor Study. Led Freedom of Information Bank-related activities which included mobilizing donors and local partners; facilitating dialogue between CSOs and donors. Conducted research and produced a Watch Brief on Islam and Governance and the link to economic development. Supported the budget oversight capacity building program for Indonesia's DPD (lower house). Show less

Coordinated the establishment of Public Information Centers throughout the MENA region. Organized annual workshops for journalists from MENA to raise awareness about the World Bank and enhance their journalistic skills. Contributed to strengthening Government-Parliament Dialogue on Budget and Policy Reform. Led the engagement with civil society groups for the Annual Meetings in Dubai.

Conducted research on the role of women in the economy in the MENA region. Led on design and delivery of a training program for women leaders in the Arab world and for the Dialogue Across Cultures conference bringing together Middle Eastern, European and American policy-makers. Managed the media coverage at the Mediterranean Development Forum (MDF4) in Amman and produced a brief on the “Gender and Citizenship in the Arab Region” session. Helped design and develop the Outreach & Communication… Show more

Conducted research on the role of women in the economy in the MENA region. Led on design and delivery of a training program for women leaders in the Arab world and for the Dialogue Across Cultures conference bringing together Middle Eastern, European and American policy-makers. Managed the media coverage at the Mediterranean Development Forum (MDF4) in Amman and produced a brief on the “Gender and Citizenship in the Arab Region” session. Helped design and develop the Outreach & Communication Dialogues for the various sectors and country teams to raise awareness of the importance of communicating public information at the regional level. Show less