Iqbal Kaur is a Senior Social Protection Specialist in the Human Development Department of the MENA region at the World Bank. She has led over 40 cross-sectoral lending and non-lending products across HD, SD, PREM sectors in MENA, SA, SSA with focus on developing education and social protection programs/systems while mainstreaming most vulnerable and marginalized populace across World Bank operations and national development plans. She has led multiple global and regional programs on youth empowerment/employment and disability. She is author or contributor of several books on MENA welfare state, women employment, social protection, youth, and has published several articles in leading specialized journals and World Bank’s Social Protection series. She holds two graduate degrees in Political Economy (India) and International Transactions/Trade (USA).