Ali Al Mokdad
| Ali Al Mokdad | |
|---|---|
| Born | Syria |
| 🏡 Residence | Denmark |
| 🏳️ Nationality | Syrian |
| 💼 Occupation |
|
| 📆 Years active | 2010s–present |
| Known for | Author of Quantum Humanitarian |
| Notable work | Quantum Humanitarian (2025) |
| 🌐 Website | alialmokdad |
Ali Al Mokdad is a Syrian-born humanitarian leader, executive and author. He is best known for his 2025 memoir Quantum Humanitarian: Witnessing the Fall, Holding What Remains, and Beginning the Rebuild, which reached #1 in Amazon's "Hot New Release" categories for Philanthropy, Refugee Studies, and Conflict Response, and became a bestseller in Germany, Switzerland, the Nordic countries, and the Netherlands.[1][2]
Over a career spanning more than fifteen years, Al Mokdad has held senior roles in international NGOs, United Nations agencies, donor institutions, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies across more than a dozen countries.[1][3][4]
Early life and humanitarian career
Born in Syria, Al Mokdad began humanitarian work as a student volunteer with the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement in Lebanon, later serving as national staff in Syria before the Syrian civil war.[1][2]
Following his displacement during the war, he took on progressively senior positions — including national staff, international coordinator, regional manager, and board advisor — across Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, Nigeria, Kenya, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and other countries.[1][4] He has worked at country, regional and headquarters levels with international NGOs, United Nations agencies, the IFRC and donor institutions, with operational responsibilities described in coverage as spanning networks of more than 40 countries.[2][5]
He was a co-founder of the Saaed Society, a Damascus-based non-profit organisation, and of Team of Change, an initiative focused on capacity building and youth engagement.[2]
He is currently based in Denmark.[1]
Writing and thought leadership
Quantum Humanitarian (2025)
In May 2025, Al Mokdad published Quantum Humanitarian: Witnessing the Fall, Holding What Remains, and Beginning the Rebuild through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.[1] The book uses what reviewers have described as a "quantum narrative" structure, in which three iterations of the author — past, present, and future — reflect simultaneously on humanitarian crises and the rebuilding of the international aid system.[1][2]
Within a week of release, the book reached #1 status in Amazon's "Hot New Release" lists for Philanthropy, Refugee Studies, and Conflict Response in the United States, and topped Amazon bestseller charts in Germany, Switzerland, the Nordic countries, and the Netherlands.[1] It was profiled in The Copenhagen Post in May 2025.[1]
Industry publications and commentary
Al Mokdad is a recurring contributor to humanitarian and development publications including Devex[4][6] and DevelopmentAid,[7] and writes essays on humanitarian leadership, localisation and decolonisation of the aid sector.[2][5]
In a 2020 Devex opinion essay, he addressed the future of humanitarian workers after COVID-19, including the increasing direct funding of national NGOs and the resulting shift in INGO staff profiles toward fundraising, advocacy and strategic leadership.[4]
He has authored a working paper on the Social Science Research Network (SSRN) titled The Aid Industrial Complex: Analyzing Power Structures, Dependency Dynamics, and Reform Pathways in a Disrupted Global Order.[8]
He maintains an ORCID iD of 0009-0000-2825-5855.[9]
Public speaking and webinars
Al Mokdad has hosted and spoken at sector-wide webinars, including those produced by DevelopmentAid:
- Exploring the Top NGO Roles Affected by AI (January 2024).[10]
- 2025 and Beyond: Trends Shaping the International Nonprofit Horizon (December 2024).[3]
- Transforming Development and Humanitarian Aid Through Local Leadership (February 2025).[11]
Quantum Humanitarian podcast
In addition to the book, Al Mokdad produces an AI-assisted podcast titled Quantum Humanitarian, described in coverage as the first AI-native podcast in the humanitarian and development sector. AI hosts analyse his writing and structure conversations around its key themes.[12]
Languages
Al Mokdad publishes content in English, Arabic, French, Spanish and Danish.[13]
Selected works
Books
- Quantum Humanitarian: Witnessing the Fall, Holding What Remains, and Beginning the Rebuild (2025), ISBN 979-8-2814-0680-2 Search this book on
..
Working papers
- The Aid Industrial Complex: Analyzing Power Structures, Dependency Dynamics, and Reform Pathways in a Disrupted Global Order (Social Science Research Network).[8]
Selected articles
- "Opinion: The future for humanitarian workers after COVID-19", Devex (8 May 2020).[4]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "An international's book becomes a bestseller in Denmark". The Copenhagen Post. 21 May 2025. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Parkinson, Ka Man. "Leading with vision and heart: reflections on humanitarian leadership with Ali Al Mokdad (part 1)". Humanitarian Leadership Academy. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Webinar — 2025 and Beyond: Trends Shaping the International Nonprofit Horizon". DevelopmentAid. 5 December 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Al Mokdad, Ali (8 May 2020). "Opinion: The future for humanitarian workers after COVID-19". Devex. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Parkinson, Ka Man. "Inviting in the chaos: strategic insights for humanitarian leaders from Ali Al Mokdad (part 2)". Humanitarian Leadership Academy. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Al Mokdad, Ali. The Aid Industrial Complex: Analyzing Power Structures, Dependency Dynamics, and Reform Pathways in a Disrupted Global Order. SSRN 5367117 Check
|ssrn=value (help). - ↑ "Ali Al Mokdad — ORCID iD 0009-0000-2825-5855". ORCID. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
- ↑ "Webinar — Exploring the Top NGO Roles Affected by AI". DevelopmentAid. 25 January 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
- ↑ "Webinar — Transforming Development and Humanitarian Aid Through Local Leadership". DevelopmentAid. 27 February 2025. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
- ↑ Phillips, Brent. "Ali Al Mokdad on the Aid Funding Crisis: The World Didn't Fall When Help Left". Humanitarian AI Today. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
- ↑ "About Me". alialmokdad.com. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
External links
Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Syrian writers Category:Syrian humanitarians Category:Syrian non-fiction writers Category:Syrian emigrants to Denmark Category:21st-century memoirists Category:21st-century Syrian writers Category:People associated with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
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