Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Lebanon’s challenge of fiscal sustainability

New legislation by the Lebanese government, which provides a big boost to the salaries of public sector employees, puts considerable ...


Return migration and gender norms: evidence from Jordan

Migration can be responsible for the spread of new social norms about gender roles. This column explores the impact of ...


Policies to reduce air pollution in Cairo

Vehicle exhaust fumes are a major cause of air pollution in megacities like Cairo. This column outlines the policies that ...


Getting more women into private sector jobs

Two interconnected challenges for the Arab countries are how to increase the low participation of women in the labour market ...


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 ...


Growth without change: MENA needs structural transformation

Although the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean region had been enjoying a decade of relatively high growth just prior to the ...


Air pollution and infant mortality: evidence from Turkey

The widespread replacement of coal with natural gas as Turkey’s key energy source over the past 25 years has led ...


Going beyond Doing Business to foster job creation

The World Bank’s Doing Business rankings provide a useful benchmark, but making them a key policy goal is inappropriate for ...