Jad Chaaban is an Associate Professor of Economics at the American University of Beirut (AUB). His research and advocacy work focuses mostly on using evidence-based economics analysis to enhance the well-being of the most vulnerable groups in society. In 2014-2015 he served as the Lead Author of UNDP’s Arab Human Development Report 2016, a flagship publication authored by leading scholars and policymakers working on the Arab countries. He received his PhD in Economics from Toulouse School of Economics, University of Toulouse, France. Chaaban is an ERF Research Fellow.
There is widespread discontent and social unrest in the Arab world, a direct result of decades of failed economic and political transitions led by largely autocratic regimes. This column argues that economic development thinkers and practitioners need to present credible alternatives for a new Arab society that meets citizens’ aspirations and restores their essential freedoms.