Ibrahim Shihata: The Man With The Plan

Scholar, educator and man of vision are all fitting descriptions for Ibrahim Shihata – a leader who considers it an honor to work towards continuing improvement and development of his birthplace, Egypt. The author of renowned books on Egypt’s economic and social reform such as “A Program for Tomorrow” (1987) and “Towards a Comprehensive Reform” (1993) has played a distinct, albeit low-key role, in the country’s move towards modernity.

“There are few others who have volunteered so much advice on how conditions in Egypt could be improved,” says Shihata. “I have not shied away from advocating what is needed, even when it is not popular.”
An outspoken proponent of change, Shihata believes that Egypt needs to completely “liberate itself from the vicious circle of material poverty and intellectual backwardness.”

“The key is better and more liberal education, great discipline, more social equity and more political reform,” he says. “By improving the quality of education, liberating the minds from useless taboos and reorienting parities in public and private expeditions, we can produce a better-educated youth with much greater job opportunities inside and outside Egypt.”

When he’s not working on ways to improve his beloved Egypt, Shihata is a senior vice-president for the World Bank where he has presided over several special interest groups like the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disports (ICSID) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).
During his 17-year tenure at the World Bank he has expanded the ICSID and MIGA portfolios, making them among the most successful institutions at the Bank. “Through my own serious efforts, hard work and integrity in all responsibilities I undertook on the national and international levels, many people have considered me an example to follow or a model,” he states. 

The road to his preeminence at the Bank began in 1957, when Shihata was 20 years old. He had graduated at the top of his undergraduate law class at Cairo University. Though he originally intended to continue his education in the United States and pursue a career in academia, he received an offer from Magless Al-Dawla (Conseil d’Etat) to work in the office of a legal adviser for the Ministry of Health.

One year later, Shihata was transferred to the technical bureau of the President of the Conseil. Shortly thereafter, he found himself seconded to the office of the President of the Republic in Syria (during Egypt and Syria’s failed unification). 
During this brief tenure, fate played a hand in his favor. When the late Dr. Hafez Ghanem, then deputy Prime Minister of Egypt, fell ill, he suggested Shihata take his place in the drafting of the constitution of the United Arab Republics.

“I did not have relatives or friends in high places,” says Shihata, recalling the honor. “The system was based on [merit]; I hope it is still like that.” 
Though he was at the time working full time for the government in Damascus, he managed to continue his studies, earning “two graduate diplomas with distinction.”
After a year of service with the then-unified Republic, Shihata was informed that a scholarship, for which he had applied to study in the US, had been granted to him. In a display of self-confidence, he had applied to just one university, even though his professors back in Cairo urged him to apply to several others in case he was not admitted to his first choice of schools.

“By good luck I was admitted at Harvard where I obtained a master’s and doctorate in less than four years,” says Shihata. 
When he graduated from Harvard in 1964, Shihata was invited to join the ranks of the World Bank. Interestingly enough, he refused. “At the time, I declined that offer because I was determined to pursue my career in Egypt,” reflects Shihata. He returned to Egypt to teach at Ain Shams University at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. 

Luckily, two years later, another opportunity to serve in a governmental role arose, and Shihata took a position working as an adviser to the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development. “It was a wonderful experience which took me around the world and taught me a great deal about Arab countries and about development,” he says.

After serving eight years in Kuwait, Shihata accepted a position with the OPEC Fund for International Development in Vienna. He acted as the group's director general for seven years. “I was elected director general of the OPEC Fund even though Egypt was not a member of OPEC and was in fact boycotted by a majority of OPEC countries during part of my time there,” recalls Shihata.

In 1983 the World Bank would come knocking at his door once again. Following a worldwide search by the then bank president, Tom Clawsen, Shihata was chosen to become its vice president and general counsel – the first person from a developing country to be appointed to such a lofty position at the World Bank.
As the leader of a department, whose offer he had turned down 19 years earlier, Shihata began establishing his impressive World Bank service record. One achievement of which he is especially proud is the creation of MIGA – an organization of the World Bank whose purpose is “to encourage the flow of foreign direct investment to its developing member countries for economic development.”

“In the bank, some people refer to me as the father of MIGA because I was responsible for establishing and launching that organization,” he says. However, Shihata believes that most people in the World Bank would consider his greatest achievements those he accomplished as general counsel, where his opinions “have been consistently endorsed by the Bank’s board.” Others, he adds, may refer to the eight books he has written on the World Bank.

Though Shihata has had a brilliant career, all good things must come to an end. The World Bank leader and innovator is stepping down from one of his numerous responsibilities – as secretary-general of the ICSID – to concentrate on his writing. “I have no definite plans,” he says, “but I shall not be surprised if I find myself involved in providing advice to governments or international institutions and participating in international arbitration. Besides, I can use the rest!”