Sulyman Al-Qudsi

Sulyman Al-Qudsi

Principal Research Specialist, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research

A Graduate of Kuwait University (KU) with Distinction and First-Class Honors 1972, Sulayman earned his PhD from the University of California (U.C.), Davis 1979 with a doctorate thesis titled “Growth and Income Distribution in an Oil Economy, Kuwait: A Quantitative Approach”. Over the past forty years, he held numerous posts in academia, and research institutions in both the public and private sectors and in reputable universities in the USA, Canada, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. The diverse international jobs experience of Dr. Al-Qudsi embraces employment at KISR, KU, U.C-Davis, California Energy Commission, the Canadian Energy Research Institute (CERI) and the University of Calgary, Canada. He also worked as a senior economist at U.S. Saudi Arabian Joint Commission Program Office (JCS) Riyadh and subsequently served as Senior Advisor to the Saudi Ministry of Finance. More recently, Dr. Al-Qudsi held the position of Chief Economist at the Arab Bank, Jordan and subsequently held the post of Chief Economist at the Gulf Financial Corporation, Kuwait. Currently, Sulayman is working at KISR as a Principal Research Specialist. Dr. Al-Qudsi served in several international consultancy positions of the World Bank, The Harvard International Institute for Development (HIID), Kennedy School of Government, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Organization of Arab Oil Exporting Countries (OAPEC), and, the Economic Research Forum (ERF), where he produced specialized economic policy reports. Dr. Al-Qudsi has published more than 70 articles in reputable international and regional journals including the Journal of Economic Development, Population Economics, Asian Economic Letters, Middle East Journal, Economics of Education, Applied Economics, OPEC Energy Review, Journal of International Manpower, International Migration Review, Journal of Science and Technology. He also served as the editor\associate editor and referee for many journals including the Journal of Social Sciences, Geopolitics of Energy, GoE, and the Journal of Development and Economic Policy. He also serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Economics World. Sulayman is one of the founding committee members of the Cairo-based ERF of Arab Countries, Iran, and Turkey and is the recipient of several awards and honors including best TA award from U.C. Davis (1977), a prize for Best Young Arab Economists under the age of forty, Shoman Foundation-The Arab Bank (1988), and a prestigious prize from Kuwait, Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences KFAS (2003) and the Students’ Choice Award, University of Calgary, 2007. His recent research focuses on digital economy growth, technical efficiency and productivity and links to SMEs heterogeneity, digital labor markets and tech-education role in human capital development. He led KISR’s research project on Kuwait’s labor market digital skills gaps and contributed to the foundational research centers & academic anchors of Abdullah Al-Salem University (ASU) of Kuwait, 2022/2023. Concomitantly he also trains youthful Kuwaiti professionals to become research leaders.

Areas of Interest:

  • Oil Markets
  • Labor Market Dynamics
  • Institutions and Economic Growth

Education:

  • Ph.D., Economics, University of California, 1979
  • M.A., Economics, University of California, 1975
  • B.A., Economics, University of Kuwait, 1972

Experience:

  • Principal Research Specialist, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research March 2016-present
  • Advisor to the CIO and Deputy CEO: Gulf Investment Corporation-Kuwait (October 12th 2014 to June 2015)
  • Division Head of two Divisions, Economics and Strategy and GCC Equity, that were merged into one Division named Research Division: Gulf Investment Corporation-Kuwait (April 27, 2014-October 11th 2014)
  • Chief Economist & Head of the Economics & Strategy Division: Gulf Investment Corporation-Kuwait (July 1st 2010-April 27th 2014)
  • The Arab Bank
  • Chief Economist & Head of the Economics & Strategy Division: Gulf Investment Corporation-Kuwait, Jul 2010 
  • Chief Economist & Research Department Head, Arab Bank, plc-Jordan: Oct. 2007-Jun.2010
  • Senior Research Director, Canadian Energy Research Institute, University of Calgary, Present

Latest Publications:

  • “COVID-19 Shock 2020: Impact on Foreign and Kuwaiti Workers and Contrasts with Employment, Earnings and Consumption During Normal Times” (with A.AlAwadhi M. Al-Ali, S. Al-Fulaij). Middle East Development Journal (MEDJ) August 2023. 
  • “Simulating policy responses to multiple economic shocks: An experiment with combined impacts of COVID-19 and oil price crash on Kuwait” (with A Gelan and A. Al-Awadhi) OPEC Energy Review. April 2023. 
  • “Digital transformation journey of GCC countries and the way forward” (with H. Arman, and S. Al-Fulaij) in Handbook of Research on Building Greener Economics and Adopting Digital Tools in the Era of Climate ChangeIGI Global Book- 2022. 
  • A Strategic Framework to Analyze the East Asian Miracle within Triple Helix Model – Lessons for Kuwait” (with H Arman) Journal of Science and Technology. September 2022.
  • “Investment and Sustainable Economic Growth: Empirical Perspective on Kuwait’s Dual Challenge During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond” (with F. Jabsheh and M. Hajii). International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues 11(4) July 2021. 
   
The 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic and Foreign Workers’ Income-Consumption Profiles: Accounts from Two Micro-Level Surveys

Areas of Interest: Oil Markets Labor Market Dynamics Institutions and Economic Growth Education: Ph.D., Economics, University of California,... Read More

February, 2022

Working Papers
The Double Whammy on the Kuwaiti Economy, Macroeconomic Effects of the Coronavirus and Oil Price Shocks

Areas of Interest: Oil Markets Labor Market Dynamics Institutions and Economic Growth Education: Ph.D., Economics, University of California,... Read More

March, 2021

Conference Paper
Kuwait’s Labor Market Dynamics during the Coronavirus Pandemic Policy Lessons from TED’s CEO Survey, Labor Force Supply and Household Survey 2020

Areas of Interest: Oil Markets Labor Market Dynamics Institutions and Economic Growth Education: Ph.D., Economics, University of California,... Read More

March, 2021

Conference Paper
Children’s Educational Outcomes Under Adverse Labor Market Conditions: Evidence From the West Bank and Gaza

Areas of Interest: Oil Markets Labor Market Dynamics Institutions and Economic Growth Education: Ph.D., Economics, University of California,... Read More

February, 2003

Working Papers
The Interaction Between Government Budget, Demography and Labor in the GCC: Does Policy Consistency Matter?

Areas of Interest: Oil Markets Labor Market Dynamics Institutions and Economic Growth Education: Ph.D., Economics, University of California,... Read More

June, 1997

Working Papers
2
Conferences
GCC Economies in an Era of Energy Transition – Third ERF GCC Conference

Areas of Interest: Oil Markets Labor Market Dynamics Institutions and Economic Growth Education: Ph.D., Economics, University of California,... Read More

Oct 30, 2023

Conferences
The GCC Economies in the Wake of COVID19: Charting the Road to Recovery and Resilience

Areas of Interest: Oil Markets Labor Market Dynamics Institutions and Economic Growth Education: Ph.D., Economics, University of California,... Read More

Mar 09, 2021

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