Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Creating jobs: East Asian success and MENA failure

Comparing the experiences of MENA and East Asia in recent decades reveals the delicate nature of the latter’s remarkable structural ...


Industrial and regional policies in MENA: survey of economists

An ERF survey conducted in September 2017 collected the views of leading economists on whether new industrial and regional policies ...


Energy subsidy reform: progress and challenges

Despite a growing global consensus about the need for reform of costly and environmentally damaging energy price subsidies, many countries ...


Lessons and pitfalls of transitions to democracy

Under what circumstances is a country most likely to make a successful transition to democracy? This column outlines the roles ...


Public procurement: the value of making global commitments

The World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Government Procurement aims to ensure that public procurements in signatory countries are conducted in ...


Inequality underestimated in Egypt: evidence from house prices

Standard estimates of income and consumption inequality rank Egypt as one of the world’s most equal countries. By analysing data ...


The oil price collapse: crisis or opportunity?

How should oil-producing economies in the Middle East and North Africa respond to the potential persistence of low oil prices? ...


What’s holding back the private sector in MENA?

The development of a vibrant private sector is essential for delivering the sustainable employment and inclusive growth that are so ...