Najy Benhassine has commenced his role as the World Bank Division Director for Central Asia, stationed in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. In this position, he will manage the World Bank's operations across Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Tatiana Proskuryakova served as the World Bank’s Regional Director for Central Asia from July 2021 to June 2025. Her tenure concluded with Mr. Benhassine officially assuming the role on July 1, 2025.
The World Bank’s Central Asia program includes 85 active projects with a total commitment exceeding $11 billion. These initiatives assist regional governments in achieving various development goals and modernizing social and economic sectors. The program is the World Bank’s second-largest portfolio globally by project count and ranks 16th by financial volume.
“I’m honored to be leading the World Bank’s dynamic and diverse operations in Central Asia — a region of over 80 million people undergoing rapid economic and demographic transformation,” stated Najy Benhassine.
He added, “I look forward to continuing the World Bank’s productive partnership with client governments across the region to help them build inclusive market economies, improve the well-being of their citizens, create better jobs, especially for women and youth, and address regional challenges.”
Benhassine joined the World Bank in 2001 and has held various managerial roles since then. Before his current assignment in Central Asia, he was Country Director for Pakistan from July 2020 to June 2025. He also served as Regional Director for Equitable Growth, Finance, and Institutions (EFI) in MENA and was previously Director of Finance, Competitiveness, and Innovation (FCI) Global Practice at the World Bank.
Benhassine holds degrees from several institutions: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology; Paris Graduate School of Management; Paris School of Economics; and a Ph.D. in Economics from MIT. He speaks Arabic, French, and English fluently.