Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Hamid Mohtadi

Founding contributors

Hamid Mohtadi
University of Wisconsin

Hamid Mohtadi is a professor of economics at University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and affiliate professor of applied economics at the University of Minnesota. He has published extensively in the areas of Growth, Trade, Development, Public Finance, Political Economy, Risk and Supply Chains. He received his PhD in Economics from the University of Michigan and his Masters in Physics from Columbia University. He has been an ERF Research Fellow since its inception.

Content by this Author

Dilemmas of public policy in resource-rich countries

Large endowments of natural resources can be both a blessing and a curse: the key to having them be the former rather than the latter lies in good institutions that limit the power of interest groups and kleptocrats. This column argues that reform-minded policy-makers must find ways in which practical and innovative policies can be carried out without invoking resistance from entrenched interests.

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? This column argues that governments need both to find alternative revenue sources and to make the non-oil economy more productive. It is time to think about the next chapter in the region’s development history – the post-oil chapter.

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Global value chains and sustainable development

What is the role of exchange rate undervaluation in promoting participation in global value chains by firms in developing countries? What is the impact of the stringency of national environmental regulations on firms’ GVC participation? And how do firms’ political connections affect their participation in GVCs? These questions will be explored for the MENA region at a special session of the ERF annual conference, which takes place in Cairo in April 2025.

Adoption of decentralised solar energy: lessons from Palestinian households

The experience of Palestinian households offers a compelling case study of behavioural adaptation to energy poverty via solar water heater adoption. This column highlights the key barriers to solar energy adoption in terms of both the socio-economic status and dwellings of potential users. Policy-makers need to address these barriers to ensure a just and equitable transition, particularly for households in conflict-affected areas across the MENA region.

Migration, human capital and labour markets in MENA

Migration is a longstanding and integral part of the MENA region’s economic and social fabric, with profound implications for labour markets and human capital development. To harness the potential of migration for promoting economic and social development, policy-makers must aim to deliver mutual benefits for origin countries, host countries and migrants. Such a triple-win strategy requires better data, investment in return migration, skill partnerships, reduced remittance costs and sustained support for host countries.

Shifting gears: how the private sector can be an engine of growth in MENA

Businesses are a key source of productivity growth, innovation and jobs. But in the Middle East and North Africa, the private sector is not dynamic and the region has a long history of low growth. This column summarises a new report explaining how a brighter future for MENA’s private sector is within reach if governments rethink their role and firms harness talent effectively.




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