Ayman bin Mohammed Al-Sayari was on Thursday appointed by royal decree as deputy governor for the Kingdom’s central bank, the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA). He thanked King Salman for granting him the position and placing confidence in him. Al-Sayari had previously been SAMA’s deputy governor for investment since 2013, during which time he played a key role in formulating the Kingdom’s sovereign debt strategy. He gained a master’s degree in finance from George Washington University in the US, a bachelor’s degree in accounting from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran and completed a general management program at Harvard Business School. He is also a CFA (chartered financial analyst) charterholder. Al-Sayari is a board member of the Saudi Fund for Development, which participates in investment projects in developing countries through the granting of loans, as well as providing technical aid for financing studies. In addition, he is a board member of the Public Pension Agency. In his role as acting head of Saudi Arabia’s Debt Management Office, which functions under the umbrella of the country’s Ministry of Finance, he has led the development of the Kingdom’s overall public debt strategy.