User Profile

Country Director, West Bank and Gaza

Lana Abu-Hijleh is a Palestinian development expert working for the past 31 years with international agencies in Palestine and the region. She served as the deputy resident representative of the UNDP Program of Assistance to the Palestinian people for over 17 years. She started with Global Communities (Formerly known as CHF International), a not- for-profit international development organization in 2003. Lana holds an advanced degree in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Iowa, USA. She is the first Palestinian woman to become a member of the Boards of Directors of the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF) and several of its subsidiary companies, the Bank of Palestine, the leading Palestinian national bank and the Arab Hotels Company. She is also a recognized civic leader actively volunteering with Palestinian and international civil society as well as private sector organizations and forums. She is a member of the global Young Presidents Organization (YPO/WPO); and the Vice Chair of the Partners for New Beginning (PNB) Palestine Chapter. She also serves on the Boards of the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS), El-Funoun Palestinian Dance Troupe, and the Palestinian Institute for Public Diplomacy. She is also a member of the Education for Employment Foundation-Palestine, Riwaq- the Palestinian Center for Architectural Conservation and the Business Women Forum. Lana is married to Nasser Abdel Hadi and has three daughters: Zeina, Yasmeen, and Nadia. She is a Fellow of the inaugural class of the Middle East Leadership Initiative and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. Lana's Aspen Leadership Project, the Youth Local Councils, was selected as a laureate for the McNulty Prize in 2014. The BBC selected Lana as one of the 100 most inspiring women in the world in 2015. Lana was selected for her role in development, humanitarian work, as well as leading and inspiring work with Palestinian youth over the past 30 years.