Fellow Dr. Yilmaz currently works as a Fellow I in the Climate and Sustainability program. His current research agenda aims to…

Dr. Yilmaz currently works as a Fellow I in the Climate and Sustainability program. His current research agenda aims to enhance our understanding of the financial and economic consequences of the sustainable energy transition and to design effective policies to balance risk and growth prospects.

Prior to joining KAPSARC, Dr. Yilmaz worked as an economist at the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey, where he was actively involved in the research and the design of policies for the private and banking sectors. He also worked as a consultant for the World Bank and spent a year as an assistant professor of economics at ADA University.

He has authored various academic and policy articles and attended academic conferences and workshops. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Calgary.

Expertise

• Sustainable Finance and Investment
• Applied Banking and Finance
• Corporate Taxation
• Public Economics
• Applied Micro-Econometrics

Research Lead Thamir is a Research Lead in the Climate & Sustainability program. He is currently focused on creating data-driven tools to…

Thamir is a Research Lead in the Climate & Sustainability program. He is currently focused on creating data-driven tools to identify and evaluate different energy market scenarios and developing the KAPSARC Circular Carbon Economy Index.

Thamir also acts as an advisor to the broader energy ecosystem in Saudi Arabia, particularly in the areas of clean energy transitions, sustainability, and carbon emissions management. He is also a member of the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

He previously worked as a lecturer in Australia and has entrepreneurial and industrial experience working on award-winning projects such as the Burj Khalifah Building Management System.

Expertise

• Circular Carbon Economy
• Climate Change Policy
• Energy Transitions
• Clean Energy Policy
• Carbon Monitoring
• Energy Efficiency
• Demand Side Management
• Cooling
• Smart Grid
• Smart Meter
• Behavioral Economics
• Nudge Theory
• Digital Transformation

Principal Fellow Mari is a policy-oriented social scientist who has been studying climate change, energy transitions and sustainable development policy in the…

Mari is a policy-oriented social scientist who has been studying climate change, energy transitions and sustainable development policy in the Gulf and globally for 17 years. At KAPSARC, she leads research projects on carbon markets and Paris Agreement Article 6, and on the Circular Carbon Economy Index.

She has worked for other leading energy, sustainable development and foreign policy research institutions, including the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (Earth Negotiations Bulletin), Georgetown University, the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, and the Emirates Diplomatic Academy.

Mari holds a master’s degree in political science and international politics from the University of Helsinki and a Ph.D. in Middle Eastern studies from Durham University.

In addition to a broad research publications portfolio, she has substantial experience in executive training, presentations, policy advisory, and reporting services for multilateral environmental negotiations.

Expertise

• Climate Change Policy and Governance
• Net-Zero Energy Transitions
• Circular Carbon Economy
• Sustainable Energy Policy
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions Measurement
• Verification and Reporting
• Carbon Markets
• Paris Agreement Article 6

Vice President of Research at KAPSARC Dr. Fahad Alturki is Vice President of Research at King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC). In this role…

Dr. Fahad Alturki is Vice President of Research at King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC). In this role he oversees KAPSARC’s research programs and priorities, ensuring that these are strategically focused on impacts within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, both regionally and globally. Dr. Fahad interacts with key stakeholder groups within the Kingdom and internationally, in the private, academic, and government sectors. Moreover, he is responsible for setting the overall directions and parameters for collaboration with KAPSARC’s partners and affiliates.

Externally, Dr. Fahad is an independent board member of the General Authority of Statistics Board of Directors and the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD). He frequently presents papers at a number of high profile local, regional, and international conferences, participates in roundtable discussions and is a well-known media figure in Saudi Arabia and overseas.

Prior to joining KAPSARC, Dr. Fahad was the chief economist and head of research at Jadwa Investment Company in Riyadh, where he managed the economic research department and published regular reports on issues related to the Saudi and global economies and the world oil market. He was also the chairperson of the Public Funds Board, a board member of the Jadwa REIT Al Haramain Fund and Jadwa REIT Saudi Fund, and a member of Jadwa’s executive management committee.

Dr. Fahad has a proven track record in economics, with more than 20 years of experience in the field. Before joining Jadwa, Dr Fahad was the chief economist at Barclays, Saudi Arabia. Prior to his time at Barclays, Dr. Fahad was an economic specialist at the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority, where he worked for 11 years in the Economic Research and Statistics Department. Dr. Fahad has also worked as an economist at the Middle East and Central Asia Department of the International Monetary Fund.

Dr. Fahad holds a B.A. in Business Administration from King Saud University in Saudi Arabia and Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in economics from the University of Oregon (Eugene, United States).