• CERAWEEK 2025 | March 10-14, 2025
  • CERAWEEK
  • March 10 - 14, 2025

Saad Rahim

Trafigura

Chief Economist

Saad is the Chief Economist for Trafigura, a market leader in the global commodities industry. He is responsible for the company’s views on markets and macroeconomics, including the outlook for oil and metals markets, commodity prices, equity and credit markets, and political risk. Prior to joining Trafigura, he was the Chief Economist at BG Group, a major integrated oil & gas company. In that role, he was similarly responsible for the Group’s views on oil, gas and LNG markets, and advised the company’s Executive Management and Board of Directors on markets, macroeconomics and global risk. Saad joined BG Group after leaving Chevron Corporation, where he served as the Deputy Chief Economist for Chevron Corporation where he was responsible for the corporation's forecasts and analysis on macroeconomics, geopolitics and energy prices. He also focuses on global energy trends, including National Oil Companies, OPEC policy, carbon initiatives and consumer and producer country policies. Prior to joining Chevron, Saad was an international energy advisor with PFC Energy in Washington, DC. While at PFC Energy, he managed their macroeconomic forecasting, country risk services, and geopolitical analysis focused on the Middle East and Asia. He also created and managed the National Oil Companies retainer service, the first such offering in the industry. Saad’s analysis has been featured in the Economist, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Financial Times as well as numerous regional outlets, and he has been a frequent guest on CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg TV and other major media. He has published works in the Petroleum Economist, the Middle East Report, and Global Issues (Middle East), and contributed to volumes on Energy Security & Global Politics and China's Energy Strategy. Saad holds BA degrees in Economics and Political Science from Stanford University, and attended the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) for advanced degree work in International Economics and Global Energy.

Sessions With Saad Rahim

Monday, 9 March

  • 07:30pm - 09:00pm (CST) / -

    The World Economy Dodged a Recession in 2019: Now what?
    Markets Investment & Trading

    Thanks to stimulus from the world’s central banks, weak growth did not lead to a recession last year. But we are facing even more daunting risks this year: US-Iran tensions, a wider trade that could affect Europe, the coronavirus, and mounting uncertainty around the US elections. Are central banks running out of ammunition to counter these threats? Will fiscal policy come to the rescue?

Wednesday, 11 March

  • 09:30am - 10:20am (CST) / -

    The New Prize: Securing lithium, battery materials & renewables supply chain
    Clean Tech

    The market for lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries—the undisputed battery of choice for the rapidly expanding electric vehicle (EV) market—is expected to grow quickly in the coming years. What is the future availability of the various metals that are required to manufacture the different types of Li-ion batteries? Can enough lithium supply be brought online to enable the mass adoption of EVs? Will there be any bottlenecks for the metals used in Li-ion battery cells, and could this hinder EV adoption? What other potential disruptions are on the horizon for the battery supply chain?