Dr. Yousuf Hamed Al Balushi is a Non-Resident Fellow at Gulf International Forum and the Founder Smart Investment Gateway. Dr. Al Balushi is a leading economist in Oman. He has over 25 years of professional experience at the Central Bank of Oman and at the Supreme Council for Planning, Oman Vision 2040 office and was appointed as an advisor on Foreign Direct Investment working in the International Monetary Fund. Acted as an Advisor for Oman to IFC. Yousuf obtained his PhD in Economics from King’s College London (University of London). In his thesis he examined the impact of FDI on the efficiency of the private sector and economic development in Oman. In addition to FDI, his interests cover monetary and fiscal policies, foreign trade, and private sector development. As Chief Economist for the Oman Vision 2040 taskforce, this appointment saw him leading teams throughout the country to examine sector-wide business opportunities in order to develop a macroeconomic framework and public-private partnerships development plan. He is an established contributor to various business and policy forums and has published business and economic issues, notably his 2022 monograph “Omani Vision 2040… The pressures of questions and the entitlements of answers” and 2018 monograph “Omani economy: globalization and the winds of change” and co-editor of “Economic diversification in Gulf countries: the private sector as an engine of growth” and “Economic diversification in Gulf countries: comparing global challenges” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017).
