The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, a member of the World Bank Group, announced the appointment a new local representative for the agency in the West Bank and Gaza on Thursday.

Layali Abdeen will be the point of contact for MIGA’s West Bank Gaza Guarantee Trust Fund. She will also focus on business development and work with local and foreign investors to assist them in managing the political risks associated with their projects in the West Bank and Gaza.

Abdeen is a graduate in economics from Birzeit University in the West Bank. She came to MIGA after working with PADICO, the statement read.

“I’m excited to be working with MIGA on this important endeavor,” said Abdeen. “While the West Bank and Gaza are in desperate need of sound development, we recognize the region is not attractive to many investors. Our hope is that MIGA’s political risk insurance and its track record in difficult environments can help investors overcome the hurdles associated with entering this market.”

The West Bank and Gaza Investment Guarantee Trust Fund aims to increase investment in the West Bank and Gaza by offering MIGA’s political risk insurance to eligible projects and is designed to facilitate small and medium size investments, with a special emphasis on projects with high employment-generating capacity, the statement added.