Economic Research Forum

05/09/2026

🚀 How can cluster-driven innovation unlock economic resilience and regional growth across the Mashreq region?

As Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine navigate profound economic transformations, business clusters have emerged as vital tools to drive industrial competitiveness, create quality employment, and strengthen regional value chains. However, scaling these networks requires bridging policy gaps, improving access to finance, and deepening public-private collaboration.

Join us online for the EuroMed Clusters Policy Seminar – Mashreq Edition: Policy Dialogue for Cluster-Driven Innovation & Regional Value Chains.

📅 Date: 16 September 2026

📍 Registration: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0MJvMjIXTaaM08khQ71s-A

🔗 Agenda: https://erf.org.eg/events/euromed-clusters-policy-seminar-mashreq-edition/

Key Discussion Focus:

Addressing fragmented policy frameworks and weak public-private links.

Designing sustainable financing mechanisms for innovation ecosystems.

Exchanging actionable policy recommendations with leaders from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine.

Brought to you under the EuroMed Clusters Forward (ECF) initiative, funded by the European Union, and organized in collaboration with Femise Network and ANIMA Investment Network.

06/08/2026

DEADLINE APPROACHING!

There is less than a week left to submit your research proposals for the Economic Research Forum (ERF) 33rd Annual Conference!

Theme: Economic Transformation Under Persistent Disruption: Evidence, Policy, and Resilience in MENA

📅 Proposal Deadline: August 12, 2026

We invite high-quality, original research proposals (max 2 pages/700 words) focusing on:
🔹 Macroeconomic and Fiscal Resilience
🔹 Productive Transformation, Firm Dynamics & the Private Sector
🔹 Labor, Inclusion, and Human Capital

Don't miss this opportunity to contribute to vital policy dialogues and economic solutions in the region.

🔗 Read the full guidelines and submit your proposal here: https://erf.org.eg/erf-33rd-annual-conference-call-for-papers/

Home > ERF 33rd Annual Conference: Economic Transformation Under Persistent Disruption: Evidence, Policy, and Resilience in MENA

04/08/2026

How trade policy can reduce MENA's cereal import vulnerability

Heavy dependence on imported cereals, combined with climate change, water scarcity and geopolitical uncertainty, continues to threaten food resilience across MENA. This column explains how an inclusive trade policy can play a key role in making the region’s food security less vulnerable to shocks.

A new column by Fida Karam Daher, Amr Khafagy, and Chahir Zaki highlights the urgent need to move beyond short-term crisis management.

Read the full insights and analysis on the ERF Policy Portal: https://theforum.erf.org.eg/2026/08/04/how-trade-policy-can-reduce-menas-cereal-import-vulnerability/

14/07/2026

Submit Now!

The Economic Research Forum invites submissions for its 33rd Annual Conference on: Economic Transformation Under Persistent Disruption: Evidence, Policy, and Resilience in MENA

The conference will examine how MENA economies can build resilience and advance economic transformation under conditions of persistent disruption, including conflict and fragility, fiscal pressure, labor market challenges, climate risks, digital transformation and global geoeconomic fragmentation.

Submissions are invited under three broad themes:
Macroeconomic and Fiscal Resilience
Productive Transformation, Private Sector Development and Firm Dynamics
Labor, Inclusion and Human Capital
Cross-cutting themes include governance, gender, conflict and displacement, digital transformation and AI, climate change, food security, energy transition, trade, regional integration and data infrastructure.

Learn more!:
https://erf.org.eg/erf-33rd-annual-conference-call-for-papers/

30/06/2026

Closing Remarks by Ragui Assaad and Yasmine Fahim of the second day of the webinar series on Navigating Change in Jordan: Policy Insights on Employment, Inclusion & Resilience from The Jordan Labor Market Panel Survey 2025, during the session titled "Gender, Household Resilience, Social Protection and Refugee Wellbeing".

https://erf.org.eg/events/navigating-change-in-jordan-policy-insights-on-employment-inclusion-and-resilience-from-the-jordan-labor-market-panel-survey-2025/?tab=2&c=undefined

Date: June 30, 2026 from 4:00 PM - 6:30 PM (Cairo Local Time)

Register below to attend this event online:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ERIpIkoiQ8Wohsul7B6C7g #/registration

https://erf.org.eg/affiliates/ragui-assaad/

https://erf.org.eg/affiliates/yasmine-fahim/

Areas of Interest: Labor markets in the Arab World Education and human resource development Youth transitions to adulthood Inequality of opportuni

30/06/2026

Watch Now Leonardo Menchini, commenting on the paper, titled "Syrian Refugees in Jordan: Demographics, Labor Market Outcomes, and Wellbeing through 2025", on the second day of the webinar series on Navigating Change in Jordan: Policy Insights on Employment, Inclusion & Resilience from The Jordan Labor Market Panel Survey 2025, during the session titled "Gender, Household Resilience, Social Protection and Refugee Wellbeing".

https://erf.org.eg/events/navigating-change-in-jordan-policy-insights-on-employment-inclusion-and-resilience-from-the-jordan-labor-market-panel-survey-2025/?tab=2&c=undefined

Date: June 30, 2026 from 4:00 PM - 6:30 PM (Cairo Local Time)

Register below to attend this event online:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ERIpIkoiQ8Wohsul7B6C7g #/registration

https://erf.org.eg/affiliates/leonardo-menchini/

https://erf.org.eg/publications/syrian-refugees-in-jordan-demographics-labor-market-outcomes-and-wellbeing-through-2025/

Leonardo Menchini is Chief of Social Policy and Social Protection at UNICEF Jordan. He holds a PhD in Development Economics from the University of Florence and brings more than 25 years of experience with UNICEF and the ILO, much of it in the Arab region. He has held Chief of Social Policy roles wit...

30/06/2026

Watch Now Caroline Krafft and Abdulrazzak Tamim, presenting the paper, titled "Syrian Refugees in Jordan: Demographics, Labor Market Outcomes, and Wellbeing through 2025", on the second day of the webinar series on Navigating Change in Jordan: Policy Insights on Employment, Inclusion & Resilience from The Jordan Labor Market Panel Survey 2025, during the session titled "Gender, Household Resilience, Social Protection and Refugee Wellbeing".

https://erf.org.eg/events/navigating-change-in-jordan-policy-insights-on-employment-inclusion-and-resilience-from-the-jordan-labor-market-panel-survey-2025/?tab=2&c=undefined

Date: June 30, 2026 from 4:00 PM - 6:30 PM (Cairo Local Time)

Register below to attend this event online:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ERIpIkoiQ8Wohsul7B6C7g #/registration

https://erf.org.eg/publications/syrian-refugees-in-jordan-demographics-labor-market-outcomes-and-wellbeing-through-2025/

How are the Syrian refugees in Jordan faring in protracted displacement? This paper leverages the 2016 and 2025 waves of the Jordan Labor Market Panel Survey to

30/06/2026

Watch Now Marguerite Duponchel, commenting on the paper, titled "Shocks and Coping for Jordanians and Refugees", on the second day of the webinar series on Navigating Change in Jordan: Policy Insights on Employment, Inclusion & Resilience from The Jordan Labor Market Panel Survey 2025, during the session titled "Gender, Household Resilience, Social Protection and Refugee Wellbeing".

https://erf.org.eg/events/navigating-change-in-jordan-policy-insights-on-employment-inclusion-and-resilience-from-the-jordan-labor-market-panel-survey-2025/?tab=2&c=undefined

Date: June 30, 2026 from 4:00 PM - 6:30 PM (Cairo Local Time)

Register below to attend this event online:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ERIpIkoiQ8Wohsul7B6C7g #/registration

https://erf.org.eg/affiliates/marguerite-duponchel/

Marguerite Duponchel is the Senior Development Officer at UNHCR Jordan, overseeing the education and livelihoods portfolio as well as partnerships with development partners. In the past, she held a similar position with UNHCR covering both Congos. Marguerite also held positions in the World Bank and...

30/06/2026

Watch Now Beyza Gulmezoglu and Sarah Winton, presenting the paper, titled "Shocks and Coping for Jordanians and Refugees", on the second day of the webinar series on Navigating Change in Jordan: Policy Insights on Employment, Inclusion & Resilience from The Jordan Labor Market Panel Survey 2025

https://erf.org.eg/events/navigating-change-in-jordan-policy-insights-on-employment-inclusion-and-resilience-from-the-jordan-labor-market-panel-survey-2025/?tab=2&c=undefined

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ERIpIkoiQ8Wohsul7B6C7g #/registration

Policy Insights on Employment, Inclusion, And Resilience from The Jordan Labor Market Panel Survey 2025 Following the official launch of the JLMPS 2025 in June 2026 and the completion of the first set of analytical studies based on the survey, the ERF is organizing a two-day dissemination webinar se...

30/06/2026

Watch Now Shereen Al Abbadi, commenting on the policy brief, titled "How can Jordan increase female labor force participation?", on the second day of the webinar series on Navigating Change in Jordan: Policy Insights on Employment, Inclusion & Resilience from The Jordan Labor Market Panel Survey 2025

https://erf.org.eg/events/navigating-change-in-jordan-policy-insights-on-employment-inclusion-and-resilience-from-the-jordan-labor-market-panel-survey-2025/?tab=2&c=undefined

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ERIpIkoiQ8Wohsul7B6C7g #/registration

https://erf.org.eg/affiliates/shereen-al-abbadi/

https://erf.org.eg/publications/how-can-jordan-increase-female-labor-force-participation/

Shereen Al Abbadi is a Development Economist with over 20 years of experience in policy research, economic analysis, and development consulting across the Middle East and North Africa. Her work focuses on labor markets, jobs, poverty reduction, private sector development, and socio-economic policy d...