Ahmed Helal is a Managing Director for the Gulf region at The Asia Group, where he advises clients on navigating the political economy of the Middle East and the many facets of the Gulf-Asia relationship. With nearly two decades of experience across the public and private sectors, Ahmed provides strategic counsel to global corporations on market entry, sovereign investment trends, and geopolitical risk management in the Gulf Arab states.
Prior to joining The Asia Group, Ahmed led the Middle East practice at Global Counsel. In this role, he advised C-suite executives in the technology, asset management, and industrial sectors on expansion strategies and the deployment of sovereign AI infrastructure across the region.
Ahmed’s career began in government, where he played a pivotal role in the State of Qatar’s economic and security architecture. He served as an adviser to the Qatari Minister of Finance, leading engagement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and global sovereign rating agencies. Most notably, he launched the annual U.S.-Qatar Economic and Investment Dialogue (EID), which evolved into the cornerstone U.S.-Qatar strategic Dialogue. Under this framework, he helped facilitate over USD 45 billion in Qatari investment into the U.S. technology, healthcare, and infrastructure sectors over five years. Early in his career, he served on Qatar’s first national food and water security task force, developing long-term resilience strategies for the Gulf.
A recognized expert on regional fiscal, energy, and security issues, Ahmed is a regular commentator in regional and international media.
Ahmed holds a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. He is Egyptian-American and enjoys reading the best of Julia Donaldson’s stories with his two kids, Sami and Layla. Ahmed is a proud supporter of Liverpool Football Club.