US President Barack Obama appointed Mohamed al-Erian, an Egyptian-American, as the chair of the Global Development Council (GDC), the White House announced.

"The Council will inform and provide advice to the president and other senior US officials on US global development policies and practices, support new and existing public-private partnerships, and raise awareness and action in support of development by soliciting public input on current and emerging issues in the field of global development," the White House said.

The GDC was established in February through an executive order of the US President.