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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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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