Dr. Said Al-Shaikh is the lead co-chair of the T20 Trade and Investment Working Group (TIWG) and a member of the Saudi Shoura Council. The TIWG focuses on trade policies that are just and environmentally friendly, as well as goods and services that benefit privileged and underprivileged countries. “There is no better structure than the World Trade Organization for international trade,” Al-Shaikh told Arab News. “Despite the current challenges, it contributed a lot to the global trade agenda, eliminating barriers and establishing regulations to facilitate trade and investment.” Al-Shaikh obtained a bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). He got a master’s degree in public policy and planning from the University of Oregon and later acquired a doctorate in economics from Cornell University. From 1993 to 1998 he was assistant professor of finance and economy at KFUPM’s College of Industrial Management. He was a principal researcher at the university’s Research Institute and also a part-time consultant for the Federation of the GCC Chambers of Commerce, acting as a representative for the organization at local and international conferences. Al-Shaikh was chief economist at the National Commercial Bank for 20 years until his retirement in Aug. 2018. He has been a member of the Shoura Council’s Economics and Energy Committee since 2009 and is also a member of the consultancy commission for the GCC Supreme Council.