Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Rania Al-Mashat

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Rania Al-Mashat
Minister of International Cooperation, Arab Republic of Egypt

H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat is Minister of International Cooperation, Arab Republic of Egypt. Prior to this appointment, she was the first woman to serve as Egypt’s Minister of Tourism between January 2018 and December 2019. She was also Advisor at the International Monetary Fund. Prior to that, she served as Sub-Governor for Monetary Policy at the Central Bank of Egypt. Her research focuses on Monetary Policy and International Economics. Al-Mashat is part of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network on the Middle East and North Africa, a member Bruegel’s Scientific Council, and an ERF Research Fellow. Her PhD and MA in Economics are from the University of Maryland, College Park, USA.

Content by this Author

Inflation targeting and exchange rate flexibility in Egypt

The degree of exchange rate flexibility within an inflation targeting framework matters in emerging economies. This column reports research that quantifies the impact of different approaches to the conduct of monetary policy on inflation and output variability in Egypt.

Economic policy management: a new framework for MENA countries

There is a clear need for MENA countries to create policy frameworks that will improve the credibility and effectiveness of economic policy-making. This column outlines the main institutional weaknesses that must be addressed, and the six key elements of a well-structured framework for economic policy management.

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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.

Preparing youth for the workforce of the future

As economies undergo rapid digital and green transformations, young people face a growing mismatch between their skills and what the modern labour market needs. This column argues that enabling youth to compete in the workforce of the future requires systemic reforms in education, skills formation and labour market institutions, especially in developing economies.

Connectivity and conflict: understanding the risks of inequality in the Middle East

While high inequality does not always lead to conflict, new research reported in this column shows that widespread internet access acts as a catalyst, transforming economic grievances into political instability. For policy-makers in the Middle East and North Africa, this means that as digital connectivity expands, the security costs of ignoring economic disparities rise dramatically. The combination of idle youth, high inequality and high-speed internet is a volatile mix.

The political economy of stalled structural reforms in MENA

There is a persistent pattern to the structural reforms that are required to underpin economic progress in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa: ambitious strategies are announced and partially implemented, but ultimately they are diluted or reversed. This column argues that the repeated stalling of reform is not primarily a failure of economic design. Rather, it reflects deep-seated political economy constraints rooted in rent dependence, elite bargaining and weak institutional credibility. Without addressing these underlying dynamics, reform efforts are likely to remain symbolic rather than transformative.

Closing the gender gap in political participation in MENA

Women across the Middle East and North Africa participate less than men in politics – not only in political parties and elections, but also in petitions, boycotts, protests and strikes. This column reports evidence from ten countries showing that differences in education, employment and political attitudes explain part of this disparity, yet a significant gender gap remains.




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