News

By Rabah Arezki and Hafez Ghanem A new economic reality is needed in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). This column proposes a ‘moonshot’, which, like the US effort to land a man on the moon in the 1960s, can... Read More

By Ida Mirzaie and Magda Kandil Iran’s currency has once again fallen against the dollar following the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal. This column explores the inflationary impact of speculative attacks on the rial..more

By Subidey Togan The routes that connect Turkey to its most important trading partners in Europe are governed by a system of road transport quotas, which has a significantly negative effect on the country’s exports..more

By Ali Enami and Nora Lustig Iran’s universal cash transfer (UCT) programme plays an important role in fighting poverty. But as this column shows, its real value and impact on the country’s poorest people has diminished..more

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: July 27, 2018 The ERF Annual Conference provides a unique opportunity for regional researchers to interact with international peers and with each another. It also provides a venue for the presentation of multiple research papers, both in the... Read More

Lack of productive employment is one of the most pressing challenges of countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). No other region in the world has such high rates of unemployment and underemployment. Policy makers across the region... Read More

By Ibrahim Elbadawi ERF’s annual conference has become the premier regional event for economists of the Middle East. This column previews the 2018 conference, to be held in Cairo in July, where the main theme will be the challenges for... Read More

By Susan Razzaz The labour market in Jordan has deteriorated since 2010: informality and irregular employment have increased; the recent social security reform has had limited impact; and large shares of young people are neither working nor in school..more