Heba Salama is an expert on business and investment strategies and international cooperation, specialized on African affairs and Regional Economic Communities (RECs). With a background of over 20 years working in the region, she now serves as Chief Executive Officer of the COMESA Regional Investment Agency (RIA), where she set-up and launched the Agency’s operations in 2006 to promote the COMESA region as a single market and an attractive investment destination. Ms. Salama manages strategic country and regional-level programs/initiatives aiming at further improving the business and investment climates of COMESA Member States, in cooperation with local, regional and international development partners. Through her strong global partnerships’ development experience, Ms. Salama has been able to develop an extended professional relationship in the COMESA region and Africa at large including key private sector companies, regional and international organizations, nonprofits, financial institutions and high-level government officials including deputy presidents, PMs, Ministers and other economic development authorities.

Throughout her career, Ms. Salama has provided leadership for various successful initiatives and programmes resulted in enhanced visibility of COMESA region and its Member States as attractive investment destinations, increased Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and trade inflows, and ultimately increased level of regional integration.

In recognition of her achievements, Ms. Salama was appointed as the Trade and Investment Representatives of the Republic of Seychelles in Egypt. She was also selected as one of Egypt’s 50 most influential women for 2017, due to her active role in the development aspects of the Egyptian human resources, economy and society.

Ms. Salama also sat on the steering committees and advisory boards of various regional and international organizations such as Afreximbank and AfripaNet aiming at spurring further integration in the African continent by implementing visionary initiatives.

Heba Salama has spent most of her life in Zambia where, among other things, she set-up, managed and owned various businesses.