Dr. Ammar Hamadien

Biography

Dr Ammar Hamadien serves as Chief Digital Advisor at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). He brings more than 30 years of leadership experience across government, telecommunications and international development, specialising in digital policy, regulatory reform and institutional governance. His career spans the Middle East, Africa and Europe, linking public policy with commercial strategy and the delivery of digital services.
In his current role, he leads the UNDP country office’s digital strategy and supports national digital transformation priorities aligned with national digital strategies. He advises senior management and government counterparts on digital governance, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, and supports the integration of digital solutions across UNDP’s development portfolio. His responsibilities include building institutional partnerships, strengthening public-sector capabilities and advancing inclusive digital services. He also contributes expertise in data, AI and digital transformation to country programmes for 2027 to 2030. His work addresses digital public infrastructure, data governance, interoperability, cybersecurity and responsible AI, with a focus on institutional ownership and practical implementation. Previously, Dr Hamadien served as Lead Advisor for Digital at UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Arab States. He advised senior UN leaders on AI governance and digital inclusion. His work helped mobilise multi-million funding for digital development projects and informed three national digital strategies aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
His public service includes roles as Deputy Minister and Director General of Sudan’s National Information Center. He developed the National Digital Transformation Strategy and advised the Cabinet on data governance, cybersecurity and digital taxation. During his tenure, government digital services reached a large share of the population. In the private sector, as Principal Co