Br Shabbir Merali, a UK-based CA-CFA, has been awarded the Commander of the British Empire for his work in public service.
Who is Shabbir Merali?
Shabbir Merali was born and raised in North West London in the UK. After going to school in Harrow, he studied Economics at University College London, specialising in macroeconomics and developing a keen interest in the design of economic policy.
After graduating from university, he worked in finance at PwC, specialising in M&A financial modelling. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant (CA) and a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).
To pursue his interest in politics, Shabbir moved to Westminster, working as an advisor to Cabinet Ministers, including the Prime Minister. Since leaving Downing Street, he has been appointed a Fellow at the University of Cambridge, a Policy Fellow at Onward think tank and is currently the Director of Intelligence at CogX, an AI start-up.
Involvement in Public Service:
Shabbir mentioned his involvement in Public Service, “Since studying economics at school, I’ve always been interested in economic policy. Better policymaking can improve our lives and increase opportunities for the next generation. The UK faces a tough outlook – from stagnant productivity growth to failing public services – and better policymaking is essential to fixing that.”
His contributions to public service include his services from 2018 to 2022 when he worked as an Adviser to Cabinet Ministers in the British Government – starting at HM Treasury, where he was the Economic Adviser to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, then continuing as the Economic Adviser to the Secretary of State for International Trade and the Foreign Secretary before becoming Special Adviser to the Prime Minister. Across these roles, he worked on core government policy – from the free trade agreements that the UK signed with Australia and New Zealand to the economic response to Covid and the UK’s approach to AI safety and international AI regulation.
Regarding his involvement on the community front, Shabbir got involved with public service first as a Madressa teacher. He has also been involved in recent initiatives in Westminster to get more young Muslims involved in policymaking. He says, “It’s so important that young people, especially young Muslims, get involved in politics and policymaking. To make our country a better place, we need people to contribute to designing and implementing effective policies. I look forward to helping more young people in our community on their path in politics and policy.”
Recipient of the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire:
The Most Excellent Commander of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations and public service.
Shabbir is being awarded for his efforts in public service and will receive the award at a ceremony that will InshAllah be held in Buckingham Palace.
On this accomplishment, Shabbir commented, “I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to work in politics and receive this award – none of which would be possible without the support of my family, friends and, of course, the Almighty (SWT)”
The Khoja News team congratulates Shabbir Merali on his accomplishment, and we pray to Allah (SWT) to grant him success in all his endeavours, Ameen.