Dr Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser is the President of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and Chairman of the IsDB Group. A former governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority and former Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning, he took office in August 2021 and was re-elected for a second five-year term in June 2026, according to the IsDB.
Quick facts: who is Muhammad Al Jasser?
| Born | 1955, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia |
| Education | BA in economics, San Diego State University (1979); MA (1981) and PhD (1986), University of California, Riverside |
| Current role | President, Islamic Development Bank, and Chairman, IsDB Group (since 9 August 2021) |
| Past roles | Governor of SAMA (2009 to 2011); Minister of Economy and Planning (2011 to 2015) |
| Second term | Re-elected on 18 June 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan |
What was his path to the IsDB?
Al Jasser was born in Buraidah in 1955 and studied economics in California, earning his doctorate from the University of California, Riverside in 1986, according to his Wikipedia biography. He joined the Saudi finance ministry in 1981 and later represented Saudi Arabia as an executive director at the International Monetary Fund until 1995.
He then spent most of his career at the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA), now the Saudi Central Bank. He joined as vice governor in 1995 and served as governor from February 2009 to December 2011. In 2010 he became the first chairman of the Gulf Monetary Council. From December 2011 to April 2015 he was Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Economy and Planning, and he later served as an adviser at the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers with ministerial rank.
What has he done at the IsDB?
The IsDB Board of Governors elected him in July 2021, and he succeeded Dr Bandar Hajjar on 9 August 2021, the bank announced. On taking office he named recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic as his first priority.
When the Board renewed his mandate in June 2026, the IsDB listed the results of his first term:
- Annual IsDB Group approvals more than doubled, from US$6.8 billion in 2020 to nearly US$16 billion in 2025.
- Annual disbursements rose from US$7.1 billion to US$11 billion.
- The Group adopted a Ten-Year Strategic Framework for 2026 to 2035 and set up an IsDB Concessional Fund.
- The bank kept its AAA credit rating.
“This renewed confidence is both an honor and a responsibility,” Al Jasser said after his re-election.
What does he say about Islamic finance?
At a forum on Islamic transition finance held alongside the 2026 IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Al Jasser argued that the industry’s success “should not be measured solely by asset growth,” Reuters reported. The point matters at a time when headline asset figures keep rising. We cover that forum in our News section.
Why does he matter for Islamic finance?
The IsDB Group is the largest public source of Islamic finance for development, and its president shapes how much of that money flows to infrastructure, private companies, trade and social programmes in 57 member countries. Al Jasser brings a central banker’s background to the role, which shows in the focus on balance sheet strength, the AAA rating and scaling up approvals. His second term runs into the 2030s, covering most of the new ten-year strategy.
FAQ
Dr Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser, in office since August 2021 and re-elected in June 2026.
Yes. He was governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority from 2009 to 2011.
Nearly USD 16 billion in 2025, according to the IsDB.
Dr Ahmad Mohamed Ali (1975 to 2016) and Dr Bandar Hajjar (2016 to 2021).
