Sami Khaldi is a Finance Sector Specialist at UNCDF. He is based in Jerusalem.

Sami began his career at State Street in Boston on the FX trading desk. In 2013, he returned to Palestine to work in the development consulting sector. He joined the World Bank in 2017 with the Private Sector Development and Finance team, where he led projects to improve the enabling business environment, expand financial inclusion, and develop innovative financial solutions to support sustainable development. In this role, he also led financial-sector crisis response and planning.

In his current role, Sami oversees pipeline design and execution for grants, loans, and guarantees; structures risk-sharing mechanisms; and leads resource mobilization and strategic partnerships with donors and Development Finance Institutions to maximize development impact. He works closely with UNCDF’s investment, operations, and executive teams to ensure rigorous risk management, transparency, and performance, while leveraging blended finance to crowd in domestic and international capital for inclusive, sustainable growth across the region.

A Palestinian, he brings 13 years of experience across the private sector, development finance, and multilateral development banks. Sami holds a master’s degree in finance and financial law from SOAS University of London and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Northeastern University.