ILO Regional Director for Arab States
Dr. Ruba Jaradat is the ILO Assistant Director-General and Regional Director for Arab States, leading the organization’s regional mandate from its Beirut-based Office. A distinguished leader with over two decades of expertise in economic growth, labour policy, and strategic governance, she has driven transformative initiatives across government, private sector, and international organizations in the Arab region and at the global level.
Prior to her ILO appointment in November 2015, Dr. Jaradat founded and directed the Jordan Strategy Forum, Jordan’s foremost private sector-funded think tank, cementing her reputation as a catalyst for evidence-based policymaking and legislative reform. Earlier, she spearheaded high-impact economic programs, including the U.S. Jordan Fiscal Reform and Cash Transfer Program (2005–2008), which improved fiscal conditions and enhanced the business climate, and the USAID Economic Development Program (2008–2013), credited with creating 67,000 sustainable, high-value jobs. Her international acumen was further honed as a business development consultant in UK higher education, where she established cross-border partnership programs between British universities and institutions in China and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
Since assuming her role at the ILO, Dr. Jaradat has overseen an eightfold expansion of the Regional Office’s Development Cooperation portfolio. Under her leadership, the office pioneered the first-ever Decent Work Country Programmes in Iraq, Kuwait, and Lebanon, institutionalizing frameworks for robust labour markets.
A globally recognized voice in economic, fiscal and labour policy, Dr. Jaradat has served as a member of prominent institutions including the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Councils, the Euro Mediterranean Council, the Jordan Economic and Social Council, and the UK Arab Partnership Initiative. From 2011 to 2015, she chaired the Board of the British Universities Alumni Association, fostering academic and cultural ties.
Dr. Jaradat holds a PhD in Management and International Development from the United Kingdom, complemented by executive certifications in economics and leadership from Harvard University, the World Bank Institute, Georgia State University, and the U.S. Federal Institute. Her career embodies a relentless pursuit of economic growth, and multilateral collaboration.