News

By Rania Al-Mashat The degree of exchange rate flexibility within an inflation targeting framework matters in emerging economies. This column reports research that quantifies the impact of different approaches to the conduct of monetary policy on inflation and output variability in... Read More

By Jamal Ibrahim Haidar Whether export sanctions are effective depends on their goal. This column highlights that if the goal is to reduce total exports of the targeted country, sanctions may be less effective as exporters can redirect their exports from... Read More

By Djavad Salehi-Isfahani In December 2010, Iran introduced an ambitious energy subsidy reform that combined large price increases for fuel with generous cash transfers. This column explains the key lesson: that despite severe flaws in the programme’s implementation,...more

By Beata Javorcik, Alessia Lo Turco and Daniela Maggioni Inflows of foreign direct investment can act as a catalyst for domestic firms to develop sophisticated manufacturing products, according to evidence from Turkey presented in this column. The authors conclude that...more

By Jad Chaaban There is widespread discontent and social unrest in the Arab world, a direct result of decades of failed economic and political transitions led by largely autocratic regimes. This column argues that economic development thinkers...more

By Caroline Krafft with Caitlyn Keo At a time when young people in MENA countries face an increasingly protracted and difficult transition to adulthood, how can housing policy help them to marry and form independent households?...more

By Kilian Heilmann The use of trade policy tools such as boycotts, embargoes and sanctions has become increasingly prevalent in international conflicts. This column reports research that examines the impact of politically motivated...more

By Alban Thomas Vehicle exhaust fumes are a major cause of air pollution in megacities like Cairo. This column outlines the policies that the Egyptian authorities have introduced in an effort to cut emission rates and raise the costs to users... Read More

Articles in this issue: Algeria–Mali trade: the normality of informality, Sami Bensassi, Anne Brockmeyer, Mathieu Pellerin & Gaël Raballand The determinants of voting for Islamists in Egypt’s first post-revolution elections 2011–2012, May Attallah The nexus between internal and external macroeconomic imbalances: evidence... Read More