Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Ibrahim Alnafrah

Author

Ibrahim Alnafrah
Faculty of Economics, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria

Ibrahim Alnafrah Ph.D. researcher and lecturer at Damascus University, Faculty of Economics, Damascus, Syria. His research interests are building and transition towards a knowledge-based economy and society in developing and emerging economies, national innovation systems, human development, post-conflict development, blockchain technology, and intellectual property management.

Content by this Author

Building a knowledge economy in Syria: external and internal shocks

Several studies suggest that the more open an economy is, the more vulnerable it will be to major global events and what is happening in neighbouring countries. This column summarises empirical evidence that goes against this narrative of the importance of such ‘external shocks’. In the context of the transition towards a knowledge-based economy in Syria, internal shocks have a stronger impact.

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Challenges of conflict and industrial policy for development

How effective is industrial policy as a tool for long-term economic growth and development? Against the backdrop of the conflict currently engulfing the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan (MENAAP), a new report argues that while industrial policies are widely used across the region, they can only address market failures and foster growth when they are aligned with country capabilities, implemented with accountability and backed by capable institutions.

The green transition in MENA economies: challenges and policy pathways

The economies of the Middle East and North Africa are at a critical turning point. Global decarbonisation pressures, energy market volatility and technological transformation are increasingly challenging hydrocarbon-based growth models. This column argues that the green transition is not only an environmental necessity but also a strategic economic imperative.

Beyond job creation: how can Egypt’s gender gap in work be closed?

More than 2 million jobs are needed each year to absorb new entrants into Egypt’s labour market and raise the country’s employment rate. The job challenge is even more acute for women, whose labour force participation remains low despite recent gains in education. This column reports on the second Development Dialogue, an ERF–World Bank Group joint initiative, which brought together students, scholars, policy-makers and private sector leaders at the American University in Cairo to consider how the country’s gender gap in work can be closed.

The political economy of algorithms in the Middle East

The Middle East is entering a new political-economic era – one in which algorithms, data and artificial intelligence may become as strategically important as oil once was. Across the region, governments are investing heavily in digital infrastructure, smart governance and AI-driven economic transformation. This column outlines how AI and algorithmic governance are reshaping power, inequality and state capacity in the region.




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