Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Mohammed Elhaj Mustafa Ali

Author

Mohammed Elhaj Mustafa Ali
Assistant Professor, University of Kassala

Mohammed Elhaj Mustafa Ali is a Sudanese national. He is assistant professor at Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, University of Kassala, Sudan. Currently, he holds the position of head Department of Economics at Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, University of Kassala, Sudan. He received his PhD in Economics from the Faculty of Economics and Rural Development, University of Gezira, Sudan in 2016. In 2009, Mustafa got his M.Sc. in Economics from Faculty of Economics and Administration, University Malaya, Malaysia. In 2001 he was awarded a B.Sc. (honors) in Economics from Faculty of Economic and Social Studies, University of Khartoum. His particular fields of specialization are in the areas of Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Health Economics, Labor Economics, Development Economics and International Economics. He has published in nationally and internationally refereed journals.

Content by this Author

Digitalisation: what’s needed in business responses to Covid-19 in MENA

The pandemic caused severe disruptions to the global business environment. This column reports evidence on how different sectors in the Middle East and North Africa have been responding. The focus is particularly on firms’ adoption of digital technologies, as well as policies that might encourage greater digitalisation as an essential business strategy to mitigate the consequences of Covid-19 for the economy.

Chronic illness and the labour market in Arab countries

Chronic illnesses are widespread in the Arab countries – and they have damaging consequences for labour market participation and wider economic performance. Drawing on evidence from Egypt and Tunisia, this column proposes a package of practical actions to protect workers from becoming victims of chronic diseases – and to reduce the losses of income, labour supply and labour productivity.

Protecting households from catastrophic health costs: evidence from Sudan

Out-of-pocket’ (OOP) healthcare expenditure is a heavy burden on household resources in developing countries like Sudan where poverty and illness are widespread. This column proposes a package of practical actions to protect households from becoming victims of OOP expenditure – and to reduce the impoverishment when such expenditure becomes catastrophic.

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The political economy of stalled structural reforms in MENA

There is a persistent pattern to the structural reforms that are required to underpin economic progress in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa: ambitious strategies are announced and partially implemented, but ultimately they are diluted or reversed. This column argues that the repeated stalling of reform is not primarily a failure of economic design. Rather, it reflects deep-seated political economy constraints rooted in rent dependence, elite bargaining and weak institutional credibility. Without addressing these underlying dynamics, reform efforts are likely to remain symbolic rather than transformative.

Untapped talent, unrealised growth: jobs and women in the MENAAP region

Only around one in five women of working age participate in the labour markets of the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan. As this column explains, the region can no longer afford to leave half its human capital underused. Expanding women’s labour force participation is central to growth and resilience in the face of looming demographic change.

Closing the gender gap in political participation in MENA

Women across the Middle East and North Africa participate less than men in politics – not only in political parties and elections, but also in petitions, boycotts, protests and strikes. This column reports evidence from ten countries showing that differences in education, employment and political attitudes explain part of this disparity, yet a significant gender gap remains.

Labour demand and informal employment in Egypt’s manufacturing sector

Egypt’s manufacturing sector faces a dual challenge of weak job creation and persistent informality. Drawing on survey evidence on business behaviour and labour market dynamics, this column explains why job creation is limited and informal work remains such an integral part of how firms organise production. The generation of more formal jobs requires a comprehensive policy approach, one that goes beyond enforcement of labour regulations to reshape the economic environment in which firms and workers make decisions.




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