Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Najat El Mekkaoui

Founding contributors

Najat El Mekkaoui
Senior Economist and Researcher, University Paris Dauphine

Najat El Mekkaoui is a senior economist and researcher, University Paris Dauphine, LEDa DIAL, France and Senior fellow at EMANES. Her research covers Demography, Pension funds, Social Protection systems, Insurance and Saving. She received her M-Phil at the Pantheon-Sorbonne University and Ph.D. in Economics from University Paris-Dauphine. She is an ERF Research Fellow.

Content by this Author

Extending social protection to Tunisia’s informal workers

With one of the most comprehensive social security and assistance systems in MENA, Tunisia has delivered on the promise of its 2014 constitution for some of its citizens – yet a substantial portion of the workforce has been left behind. This column argues that the country has an opportunity to leverage existing regulations and introduce new policy strategies to increase social protection coverage among informal workers and create a more inclusive economy for Tunisian workers.

Ageing and pensions coverage in Arab countries

Arab countries experiencing economic and humanitarian crises are paying insufficient attention to the demographic trend of ageing populations. This column argues that providing economic security and healthcare for the elderly is one of the key challenges for the region.

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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.

Empowering Egypt’s young people for the future of work

Egypt’s most urgent priority is creating more and better jobs for its growing youth population. This column reports on the first Development Dialogue, an ERF–World Bank joint initiative, which brought together students, scholars, policy-makers and private sector leaders at Cairo University to confront the country’s labour market challenge. The conversation explored why youth inclusion matters, what the data show and how dialogue and the forthcoming Country Economic Memorandum can inform practical pathways to accelerate job creation.




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