Homam Hashem

Homam Hashem is Deputy CEO of SME Bank, CEO, and a board member of Kafalah, the Saudi National SME Loan Guarantee Program. With more than thirty years of experience in banking, finance, SME development, and consulting, he is leading efforts to improve Saudi Arabia's access to finance and strengthen the SME financing ecosystem.

While he was in charge, Kafalah experienced a major change in both its institutional and operational aspects, involving the reorganization of its way of operating, the launch of seventeen new products, an expansion of its business network by over 700 percent, and considerable investment in its human resources and in the capabilities of the organization, with greater female participation and representation in senior positions.

As a result, Kafalah’s share of the SME financing market grew from approximately 4% to nearly 12%, despite the overall market tripling in size. The program has supported the creation of more than one million jobs, issued over 75,000 guarantees, and facilitated more than US$27 billion in financing, reinforcing its role as a key driver of SME growth and economic diversification.

Mr. Hashem has extensive experience managing complex, higher-risk portfolios and turning strategic opportunities into tangible business results in the consumer, banking, and SME sectors. He has led several strategic initiatives in digital transformation, artificial intelligence, credit scoring, and advanced decision models, resulting in faster credit decisions, better risk assessment, and greater access to finance for SMEs.

In addition to his executive duties, Mr. Hashem is actively involved in the regional and international SME finance community. He serves on the Board of the Global SME Finance Forum and sits on several committees and corporate boards. He also frequently contributes to SME finance, financial inclusion, digital transformation, and economic development through articles, television, radio, podcasts, and industry forums.

Mr. Hashem is at present working towards obtaining a Doctor of Professional Practice (DPP) at the Thunderbird School of Global Management, and his area of research includes SME finance, sustainability, ESG, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation; his aim is to create practical methods that will allow Saudi SMEs to enhance their capabilities in the areas of sustainability and ESG via the use of technology, in support of the wider goals of Saudi Vision 2030.