MEDJ – ERF Middle East Development Journal: June 2023

• Does the structure of state budget matter for Egypt’s fiscal deficit? An empirical investigation using an ARDL bounds testing approach

Israa A. El Husseiny

The current study contributes to the existing literature by investigating the relationship between structure of the State budget and fiscal deficit-to-GDP ratio in Egypt over the period 1981/1982–2020/2021. The dynamic relationship between the examined variables is tested using an Autoregressive Distributed Lag...

Pages: 1-25

• Globalization and obesity in the GCC countries

Zouheir El-Sahli

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have some of the highest obesity rates in the world. At the same time, the GCC countries have become increasingly integrated in the global economy as they attempt to diversify their economies. This raises the question....

Pages: 26-49

• The impact of sand and dust storms on agriculture in Iraq

Hayatullah Ahmadzai

Sand and dust storms are a common natural hazard in arid and dry areas of the Middle East and North Africa severely affecting human life and economic sectors, including agriculture production. In this paper, I explore the potential impact of sand and dust storms...

Pages: 50-65

• On the unfinished business of stabilization programs: a CGE model of Egypt

City Eldeep & Chahir Zaki

Several emerging economies have embarked on structural adjustment reform programs that focused more on short-run-oriented stabilization reforms. Yet, longer-term structural policies that can shift their potential GDP were not fully taken into consideration...

Pages: 66-100

• Who can work from home in MENA?

Shireen AlAzzawi

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the world economy. The need for social distancing, lockdowns, or complete curfews has meant that this impact varied significantly across segments of society. Those unable to work remotely, or who work in settings necessitating close contact with others faced a trade-off between their...

Pages: 101-129

• Do labor markets and the social contract increase female youth unemployment in the GCC countries?

Wasseem Mina

In the high-income Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the female youth unemployment rate is nearly double the male youth unemployment rate. The segmented labor market with a relatively inflexible national labor market segment – coupled with a generous social contract...

Pages: 130-150

• Overeducation wage penalty for university graduates: evidence from the MENA region using machine learning techniques

Obbey A. Elamin

This study estimates the causal effect of overeducation on wages using cross-sectional survey data from three countries in the Middle East and North Africa region. The Labour Market Panel Survey data from Jordan in 2016, Tunisia in 2014, and Egypt in 2012 and 2018 are used...

Pages: 151-188