About

Rahif El Chaar

I am a finance professional based in London. This website is a place where I bring together my work, my research, and my thinking.

My focus sits at the intersection of finance, political economy, and the Middle East. I am interested in how capital moves, how decisions are made, and how regional dynamics shape global markets. This platform reflects that. It is not just a profile, but a space where I write, test ideas, and build a body of work over time.

I hold an MSc in Finance from Imperial College London, where I also served as an MSc Finance Ambassador and Cohort Academic Representative. I completed my undergraduate degree in Finance and Accounting at the American University of Beirut, graduating with a 4.0 core GPA and being inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma. I also spent time at Boston University studying financial derivatives and analysis.

I have completed all three levels of the CFA Program.

Professionally, I started in Corporate Banking at Citibank, working across Lebanon and the GCC. My role involved credit analysis, financial modelling, and managing a portfolio of corporate clients with exposure exceeding $50 million. I later moved into M&A at Ciesco in London, where I worked on live transactions across technology, digital, and media sectors.

This website is where I share my perspective. You will find writing on markets, Middle East politics, and economic developments, alongside longer-form research and ongoing ideas. Some pieces are structured, others are exploratory, but all of them reflect how I think about the world.