Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Jala Youssef
Jala Youssef
PhD Candidate in Economics at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne in Double Degree with Cairo University

Jala Youssef is a PhD Candidate in Economics at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne in Double Degree with Cairo University. She is also a Consultant at the World Bank (Egypt Country Office, the Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment (MTI) Global Practice). She was an Assistant Lecturer on part time basis at the French Section of the Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University. Prior to joining the World Bank in 2018, she worked for three years as a researcher at the Economic Research Forum (ERF). She previously worked for the Egyptian Government in two different positions at the Ministry of International Cooperation and the Egyptian Competition Authority. She holds a B.A. in Economics from the Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University and the University of Paris 1 Panthéon- Sorbonne, and an M.A. in Applied Economics from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. Her main research interests include structural change, economics of growth, macroeconomics, and competition economics.

Content by this Author

On the economics and politics of IMF loans

Loans made by the International Monetary Fund are supposed to be based mainly on technical economic considerations. But as this column explains, international politics can play a key role in the IMF’s lending decisions. What’s more, domestic politics in recipient countries can have a significant impact on the outcomes of loans, with democratic regimes more likely to experience economic benefits.

Competition laws: a key role for economic growth in MENA

Competition policy lacks the attention it deserves in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), a region characterised by monopolies and lack of market contestability. As this column explains, there are many questions about the extent of anti-competitive barriers facing new market entrants in the region. What’s more, MENA’s weak overall performance on competition is likely to be hindering economic growth and the path towards structural transformation.

Most read

Artificial intelligence and the renewable energy transition in MENA

Artificial intelligence has the potential to bridge the gap between abundant natural resources and the pressing need for reliable, sustainable power in the Middle East and North Africa. This column outlines the constraints and proposes policies that can address the challenges of variability of renewable resources and stress on power grids, and support the transformation of ‘sunlight’ to ‘smart power’.

Arab youth and the future of work

The Arab region’s labour markets are undergoing a triple transformation: demographic, digital and green. As this column explains, whether these forces evolve into engines of opportunity or drivers of exclusion for young people will hinge on how swiftly and coherently policy-makers can align education, technology and employment systems to foster adaptive skills, inclusive institutions and innovation-led pathways to decent work.

Digitalising governance in MENA: opportunities for social justice

Can digital governance promote social justice in MENA – or does it risk deepening inequality and exclusion? This column examines the evolution of digital governance in three sub-regions – Egypt, Jordan and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council – highlighting how data practices, transparency mechanisms and citizen trust shape the social outcomes of technological reform.

Wrong finance in a broken multilateral system: red flags from COP30-Belém

With the latest global summit on climate action recently wrapped up, ambitious COP pledges and initiatives continue to miss delivery due to inadequate commitments, weak operationalisation and unclear reporting systems. As this column reports, flows of climate finance remain skewed: loans over grants; climate mitigation more than climate adaptation; and weak accountability across mechanisms. Without grant-based finance, debt relief, climate-adjusted lending and predictable multilateral flows, implementation of promises will fail.

Why political connections are driving business confidence in MENA

This column reports the findings of a new study of how the political ties of firms in the Middle East and North Africa boost business confidence. The research suggests that this optimism is primarily driven by networked access to credit and lobbying, underscoring the need for greater transparency and institutional reform in corporate governance.




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