Nahla Zeitoun is the Senior Social Protection (SP) Specialist at the World Bank Cairo Office since January 2016. Her duties include strategic leadership of the SP team, facilitating inter-governmental policy dialogue and designing projects/programs in the areas of SP and Jobs. Ms. Zeitoun is the Task Team Leader for the largest cash transfer operation in MENA Takaful and Karama Program, implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Solidarity (MOSS), and previously Task Team Member for two labor intensive public works operations with the Social Fund for Development. Her responsibilities also include building consensus amongst government and other key multi-stakeholders through evidence-based policies in the areas of social safety nets reforms, building information systems including social registries and unified national registry, subsidy reform, early childhood development, human capital and economic inclusion. Ms. Zeitoun is also the MENA Gender Focal Point leading several key policy analytics in the area of women’s economic empowerment and equality across the MENA region inducing the design of regional course on women and jobs in cooperation with the IMF in Kuwait. Ms. Zeitoun is also providing cross country support in the areas of social care and disability certification in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia working closely with the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.  She also acts as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) focal point at the country office in Egypt working with relevant counterparts in developing a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework to track the SDGs. Prior to joining the WBG, Ms. Zeitoun served for eighteen years at the UNDP Egypt leading diverse teams and operationalizing universal sustainable human development concepts, designing and monitoring projects and providing policy advice and analysis. Her last position at UNDP Egypt was Assistant Resident Representative and Poverty Reduction Team Leader where she led the Poverty Team supporting projects in the areas of Poverty Reduction and Job creation, Social Protection, Private Sector Development and Private Sector Engagement, Youth Engagement and Gender Empowerment. At UNDP she oversaw the production and coordination of key flagship publications including the 2008 and 2010 Egypt Human Development Reports series, the 2007 & 2015/2016 Business Solutions for Human Development Report and the 2010 and 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Report. Ms. Zeitoun has completed several key professional and skills trainings covering many areas including leadership, strategic management and planning, human development, gender, jobs among others. Ms. Zeitoun is a Sasakawa Fellow and recipient of the Young Leaders Scholarship Award in 2002 and recipient of Eisenhower Fellowship for Women Leaders October 2020.  She holds a Master of Arts Degree in Sociology from the American University of Cairo. She is also a member of the Human Development and Capability Association founded by Prof. Amartya Sen. Ms. Zeitoun is married with two children.