Raed Safadi
Managing Director Designate, ERF
Dr. Raed Safadi is Managing Director Designate of the Economic Research Forum. He brings over three decades of senior international experience in macroeconomics, labour markets, economic development, trade policy, and international cooperation. He has held leadership roles at major international and public institutions, and has advised governments, regional development banks, and UN agencies on fiscal sustainability, employment, trade, crisis response, and structural reform. A long-standing member of the ERF community since its inception, Dr. Safadi has published widely in refereed journals, books, and policy volumes on development, trade, globalisation, global value chains, and economic reform. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Georgetown University.
Areas of Interest:
- Macroeconomics
- International Trade
- International Finance
Education:
- Ph.D. in Economics. Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. 1989
Experience:
- Partner and Chief Economist, Whiteshield Partners, Dubai, 2022 - Present
- Chief Economic Adviser, Dubai's Department of Economic Development, UAE, 2015-2022
- Deputy-Director, Trade and Development Division, the Trade & Agriculture Directorate, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Paris, France, Jun. 2009
- Chief Economist, Department of Economic Development, Government of Dubai, Dec. 2008 – Jun. 2009
- Head of the Trade and Development Division, the Trade & Agriculture Directorate, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Paris, France, Aug. 2001 – Nov. 2008
Latest Publications:
- Safadi, Raed. 2006. The Legacy of Trade Reforms in the Arab Countries, The OPEC Fund for International Development, Vienna, December 2006.
- Safadi, Raed and Abdelbasset Chemingui. 2005. Saudi Arabia Long Road to WTO Membership: The Potential Payoffs, ERF, Cairo, December 2005.
- Safadi, Raed and Sam Laird and Alessandro Turini), “The WTO and Development.” In Douglas Nelson (editor), The Political Economy of Policy Reforms, Elsevier, 2004.
The MENA Countries and the Uruguay Round and Beyond
Areas of Interest: Macroeconomics International Trade International Finance Education: Ph.D. in Economics. Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. 1989 Experience:... Read More
February, 2000
Working PapersGlobal Challenges and Opportunities Facing MENA Countries at the Dawn of the 21st Century
Areas of Interest: Macroeconomics International Trade International Finance Education: Ph.D. in Economics. Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. 1989 Experience:... Read More
August, 1996
Working PapersThe Impact of the Uruguay Round Agreements on ESCWA Countries’ Manufactured Exports
Areas of Interest: Macroeconomics International Trade International Finance Education: Ph.D. in Economics. Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. 1989 Experience:... Read More
March, 1996
Working PapersInternational Agreements and the Environment
Areas of Interest: Macroeconomics International Trade International Finance Education: Ph.D. in Economics. Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. 1989 Experience:... Read More
January, 1995
Working PapersThe ‘New’ Trade Theories and New Trading Opportunities for Turkey
Areas of Interest: Macroeconomics International Trade International Finance Education: Ph.D. in Economics. Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. 1989 Experience:... Read More
November, 1994
Working PapersERF 32nd Annual Conference: After the Shock – Reform, Resilience, and Economic Transformation in MENA
Areas of Interest: Macroeconomics International Trade International Finance Education: Ph.D. in Economics. Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. 1989 Experience:... Read More
Jun 14, 2026
Challenges of Conflict and Industrial Policy for Development
Areas of Interest: Macroeconomics International Trade International Finance Education: Ph.D. in Economics. Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. 1989 Experience:... Read More
May 13, 2026
ERF 31st Annual Conference: Parallel Sessions
Areas of Interest: Macroeconomics International Trade International Finance Education: Ph.D. in Economics. Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. 1989 Experience:... Read More
Apr 27, 2025
Revisiting Macroeconomic Management in Times of Crisis and Beyond
Areas of Interest: Macroeconomics International Trade International Finance Education: Ph.D. in Economics. Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. 1989 Experience:... Read More
Mar 26, 2022
Revisiting Macroeconomic Management in Times of Crisis and Beyond – Parallel Sessions – March 27
Areas of Interest: Macroeconomics International Trade International Finance Education: Ph.D. in Economics. Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. 1989 Experience:... Read More
Mar 26, 2022