Economic Research Forum (ERF)

May Gadallah

Author

May Gadallah
Associate Professor, Departments of Statistics, Cairo University

May Gadalla is an Associate Professor at Cairo University, Faculty of Economics and Political Science. And currently is the Statistics Manager at the Economic Research Forum. She holds a PhD in Biostatistics from University of California, Los Angeles, and a Master’s degree in Statistics from Cairo University. She is also a research associate at the Economic Research Forum (ERF Middle East), Cairo, Egypt. She has 25 years of experience in the field of data analysis. She was a statistical consultant for the World Bank, UNFPA, ERF, Social Research Centre (SRC American University), Population Council (Middle East), and USAID; Deputy Director at the Center of Economics and Financial Studies, Cairo University, Egypt; Head of the Social Justice Observatory at the Social Contract Centre; and Senior Program Officer at the Population Council (Middle East). She has extensive experience with in-depth data analysis of different research themes (labor market, education, poverty and child poverty, gender studies, impact evaluation, nutrition, and other topics focused on poverty and youth-related policies), in addition to midterm and end-of-term project evaluations. Her work has been published in academic papers and national reports.

Content by this Author

How the crisis in Ukraine affects Egypt’s vulnerable families and children

The crisis in Ukraine is hitting the global economy at a time when the world is struggling to recover from the economic repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic. This column examines the implications of Russia’s invasion for Egypt’s most vulnerable children and families, as they face the ripple effects of the crisis.

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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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