Omar Shaban

The founder of PalThink for Strategic Studies in Gaza. He was a candidate for the 1st Palestinian parliamentary elections in 1996.

Omar regularly writes for various international magazines and has been interviewed by many well-known international newspapers. He occasionally participates in conferences on political and economic issues, as well as Palestinian affairs, such as the reconstruction of Gaza, national reconciliation, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and Euro-Med cooperation.

His political independence and strict adherence to democratic values and principles made him a trusted advisor to all stakeholders. Omar is regularly invited to speak at conferences in Europe and the US. He has also published dozens of articles and policy papers for research reports and think tanks and has been quoted in numerous books such as “Dignity under Siege” (Brussels, 2008) and “Palestiniens” by Mélinée Le Priol and Chloé Rouveyrolles (Paris, 2018).

Omar and Pal-Think for Strategic Studies received the World Movement for Democracy Award in Recognition for its Civil Society Role in 2024. Omar was born in Gaza in 1962. He holds a BA in economy from Egypt (1984), an MSc in Entrepreneurial Studies from Stirling University, Scotland (1995), and a Master's degree in development from Geneva Graduate Institute in 2023.