Abeer Rashdan is an Associate Professor of Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science -Future University Egypt (FUE). She holds a PhD in Economics from the Faculty of Economics and Political Science- Cairo University. Abeer got her Master of Economics from Suez Canal University Abeer is also an MBA holder from ESLSCA University. Abeer’s main research interest (middle class, poverty, inequality, governance, and financial inclusion). Dr. Rashdan has worked with several regional and international institutions (GIZ, UNDP, UNESCWA, and ERF). Dr. Rashdan worked for almost five years with the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development. During her academic work, she taught economics at ESLSCA University and the Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime. Currently, Dr Rashdan is the Head of the Economics Department at FUE. https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=MPD5vg8AAAAJ

Adla Ragab is a Professor of Economics, Director of Centre for Economic and Financial Research and Studies, Coordinator of Migration Research Unit and was Vice Dean for Community Services and Environment Development at Faculty of Economics and Political Science Cairo University. She was First Vice Minister of Tourism 2017, First-Woman Chairperson of Misr Travel 2019. Have experience in Research, Training and Consultancy in Transport, Airports, and Tourism. She headed the Tourism Satellite Account Unit in Egypt during 2008-2018. She participated as peer reviewer for Arab Tourism Strategy at League of Arab States 2013-2014 and Tourism Strategic Sustainable plan 2020 and Revision of "Egypt Vision 2030".

Ahmad Muhammad Ragab is a Professor at the Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Minia University, Egypt, his research focuses on Tourism Statistics, Tourism Satellite Accounts (TSA), and Measuring Tourism Sustainability. He has consulted on tourism statistics projects for organizations such as UN Tourism, World Bank, LAS, GCC-Stat, and AITRS, working across countries including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Kyrgyzstan. He has published extensively in scientific journals and was awarded Egypt’s State Encouragement Award in 2021 for his research on tourism's role in economic and social development. Recently, he joined the UN Tourism Expert Group on Measuring Tourism Sustainability (MST).

Ahmed Elsayed is an adjunct faculty in the Faculty of Economics and Political Sciences at Cairo University, Administrative Control Authority, National Anti-Corruption Academy, The Egyptian Chinese University, MisrUniversity for Science and Technology.  For over 20 years, Elsayed was heading Research & Markets Development/International Relations, Corporate Governance and Compliance departments in the Egyptian Stock Exchange (EGX), where he helped in introducing several new financial products to the Egyptian market. Elsayed earned a Ph.D  in Economics

Dr. Ahmed Kamaly graduated from the Department of Economics at the American University in Cairo (AUC) in 1991 and earned a Master’s degree in Economics from AUC in 1995. He went on to receive a PhD in Economics from the University of Maryland at College Park in 2002. With extensive experience spanning academic, international, private, and public sectors, Dr. Kamaly has held a variety of prominent roles. He has served as a researcher at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Washington, DC, and as a senior economist at Business & Technical Consultants Inc. (IBTCI). In Egypt, he was the research coordinator at the Economic Research Forum (ERF) and an advisor to the World Bank in Washington, DC. He also chaired the Department of Economics at AUC and served as the economic advisor to the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones of Egypt (GAFI). Dr. Kamaly's leadership roles include Director of the Egyptian National Focal Point for the OECD at the Ministry of Investment and Chief of the Economic Governance and Planning Section at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA). Most recently, he served as the Deputy Minister to the Minister of Planning and Economic Development until July 2024. His research interests encompass business finance, growth theory, applied econometrics, economic development, and monetary and fiscal policies.

Dr. Ragab is a seasoned econometrician with over 16 years of experience in various domains of policy modeling. He has a proven track record in building, upgrading, and maintaining macro-econometric, macro-economic, and data-driven models. In addition to teaching economics and finance at Cairo University, Dr. Ragab serves as an economic consultant for top-tier policy and research organizations such as the IDSC of the Egyptian Cabinet, the Egyptian Center for Economic Studies, the Egyptian Banking Institute, the Population Council, the Arab Monetary Fund, as well as several esteemed Egyptian, German, and British universities. His contributions extended to numerous published research in international peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Ragab holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the Chair of Econometrics at Freie Universität Berlin in Germany. His research interests encompass Applied Macroeconomics, Time-Series Analysis, Monetary Policy, Industrial Economics, and the Policy Applications of Data Science Models.

Dr. Ahmed Rostom is a Senior Financial Sector Specialist at The World Bank's Finance Competitiveness and Investment Global Practice – East Africa Region. He joined the World Bank group on February 2010. His duties include leading the policy dialogue on financial sector development while actively participating and contributing to multi-sectoral teams involved in policy-based and investment operations in the Africa region. Dr. Rostom has experience in leading operations in Africa and Southeast Asia regions and has contributed to several operations in Europe and Central Asia and Middle East and North Africa regions. He also led and contributed to several Financial Sector Assessment assignments. His areas of expertise include macro-finance linkages, long term finance, financial inclusion and financial infrastructure in client countries. Dr. Rostom authored more than 12 World Bank Policy Research Working Papers and contributed to several World Bank flagship reports and analytical diagnostics in areas of macroeconomics, financial economics, time series econometrics and financial sector development. Dr. Rostom is part of the Bank's youth mentoring program. His prior experience spans many positions within Government, Central Bank and Banking in Egypt. He holds a M.Sc. in Economics and Social Policy Analysis from University of York of the United Kingdom. Dr. Rostom received his Ph.D. in Economics at George Washington University of the United States. Dr. Rostom received seven World Bank awards for operational excellence.

Ahmed Zaki is a researcher interested in political economy, sustainable development and climate change. Currently working in the office of the United Nations Special Envoy for Financing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, and formerly serving as Executive Director of the Arab Society for Economic Research and Assistant to the UN High-Level Climate Champion for Egypt. Ahmed Zaki holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics with a specialization in business and a bachelor’s in Political Science from the University of Chicago.

Aly Elnady is an independent urban researcher and public policy consultant. Aly has been a consultant for the larger part of his career, delivering a wide array of research products to a number of international organisations, consulting firms, government agencies, and academic institutions. These include the International Labour Organisation, the Urban Development Fund, and the American University in Cairo, among others.  Aly has obtained a BA in Political Science, and a MSc in Sustainable Development: Sustainable Cities from the American University in Cairo. His work sits at the intersection of sustainable urban governance and finance, the politics of space, and the evolution of complex socio-spatial systems.

Dr. Amira El-Ayouti is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Statistics, Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University. She has been awarded her Ph.D. degree in Statistics in 2017 from the School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Glasgow; and currently is an Honorary Professorial Research Fellow within the same school. Elayouty is also an Adjunct Faculty member at the School of Business in the American University in Cairo. Her teaching interests include inferential statistics and statistical modeling. Her research interests include spatio-temporal models, additive nonparametric regression models and functional data analysis with a particular focus on high-frequency and big environmental and socio-economic data and statistics. She is interested in developing and using advanced statistical methods to allow for a better understanding of the rapid environmental and socioeconomic changes and their impacts on the places, species, and society and to improve the risk and uncertainty assessment of these changes. Elayouty has been elected as a Global representative for the International Environmetrics Society (TIES) for the period 2021-2025 and is currently leading the new early-career researchers mentoring scheme committee for the society.

Amirah El-Haddad is Professor of Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Political Sciences (FEPS), Cairo University, and currently Senior Economist in the Middle East and North Africa Program at the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) based in Bonn, Germany. She holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Maryland at College Park (2005), during which time she also worked for the World Bank. She is a Research Fellow of the Economic Research Forum and serves on the board of a number of organizations including FEMISE. El-Haddad specializes in industrial organization, industrial policy, wage inequality and the political economy of the Arab World in general and of Egypt in particular. She has published on firm behaviour, dispute resolution in the textiles and clothing industry and gender wage discrimination. She recently published on the social contract in World Development, the Role of Political Connections in COVID Policy Response in the Journal of Development Studies, on political patronage in textiles and clothing in the European Journal for Development Research, on the link between informality and inequality in Applied Economics and on the welfare effects of institutional and regulatory reform in public utilities in the Journal of Development Effectiveness and Utilities Policy. In 2012-2014 she was Visiting Professor at the departments of Economics and Public Policy and Administration at the American University in Cairo. El-Haddad was visiting scholar at AYSPS, Georgia State University, USA in 2011 and has given a series of lectures at Stanford University, USA in 2015.

Ania Thiemann is a highly experienced Economist and Competition Expert within the Competition Division of the OECD’s Directorate of Financial and Enterprise Affairs. She has extensive knowledge of competition and consumer matters in digital markets, and in the field of regulatory impact assessment and in other areas such as networks, utilities and occupational licensing. She conducts research on the digital economy and digital disruption, and the regulation of digital markets. She has managed several flagship projects for the OECD, such as the 2020-22 Competition assessment of ports and civil aviation in Brazil, or the 2019-2020 competition impact assessment project with the Government of Iceland, evaluating competition barriers in tourism and construction (Competition Assessment Review). Ania also supports the work of the OECD Competition Committee, organising roundtables and drafting background papers, especially on the topic of the digital economy, Big Data and FinTech.

Between 2014 and 2018, Ania was Head of Global Relations for the OECD Competition Division, in charge of outreach activities and the execution of the global relations strategy. She has also managed the OECD Competition Committee’s Working Party 2 on Regulation and Competition. In 2022-23, Ania took time away from competition to work in the Country Studies Branch of the Economics Department of the OECD, notably to reconnect with wider topics in macroeconomic analysis such as drivers of long-term growth and sustainability. This was also an opportunity to her experience of industrial organisation and micro foundations to country analysis. On the Egypt/Saudi Arabia Desk, she co-authored and edited the first-ever OECD Economic Survey of Egypt, which was published in February 2024.

Prior to joining the OECD, Ania was Senior Economist/Editor at the Country Analysis Division at the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in London, covering the Middle East, and Product Head of EIU’s Country Forecast Services, in charge of the Business Environment Rankings developed by the EIU. She holds an MSc (econ) from the London School of Economics and an MPhil in International Relations from the Sorbonne (Paris I), as well as an MSc in Economics from Birkbeck College at the University of London, specializing in industrial organization and economic growth.

Dr. Asmaa M. Ezzat is an Associate Professor in the Economics Department at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science (FEPS), Cairo University. She earned her Ph.D. in Economics in 2015, with joint supervision from FEPS and the Institute of Law and Economics at Hamburg University. She also holds an M.A. and B.A. in Economics from FEPS. Dr. Ezzat is the Director of the Governance Center at the National Institute of Governance and Sustainable Development and serves as an Economic Consultant for the Egyptian Competition Authority. She has worked on research and consultancy projects funded by organizations like the EU, USAID, and the Egyptian National Council for Competitiveness. An affiliate of the EU-Mediterranean and African Network for Economic Studies (EMANES), she won the 2024 State Encouragement Award for her work on the role of Egyptian institutions in the rule of law. Her research focuses on institutional economics, development, law, corruption, and econometrics.

Professor Chahir Zaki is a chaired professor of economics at the University of Orléans and a research fellow at Laboratoire d’Economie d’Orléans where he is the chairholder of the Chair in Environmental and Mineral Economics. Chahir is also a lead economist (part-time) at the Economic Research Forum, a professor of economics at Cairo University (on leave) and as a consultant for several international organizations. He is also the director of Egypt’s pole of the Euro-Mediterranean and African Network for Economic Studies (EMANES), a member of the experts’ panel of the Euro-Mediterranean Economic Association (EMEA) and a board member of the Middle East Economist Association. He has written numerous studies published in refereed journals on international trade, global value chains, environment, trade policy, trade in services, and macroeconomic modeling.

Prof. Dalia M. Ibrahiem is a full Professor at Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University. She holds a Master's and Ph.D. Degrees in Economics from Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University. She supervised several master and Ph.D. theses in the Economics program, Faculty of Economics and Political Science, master theses in Law and Economics program in collaboration with University of Hamburg and professional master theses in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program in collaboration with University of Cambridge.

Prof. Ibrahiem is also an energy economist and an academic with over 20 years of experience, with a focus on analyzing the socio-economic impact of energy transition in a low carbon era. She has several research and policy papers published in reputable peer-reviewed journals (SCI, SCCI) and in the Egyptian Cabinet's Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC) in the area of renewable energy, hydrogen, low carbon transition and climate change impacts.

Dr. Damyana Bakardzhieva is the Senior Research Fellow in charge of the ‘Economic Diplomacy’ research programme at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy. With a dual PhD in Economics from the University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis (France) and Sofia University (Bulgaria), Dr. Bakardzhieva has taught Economics and Sustainable Development in Bulgaria, France, Monaco, the United States, and Egypt. Prior to joining AGDA, she was Chief Sustainability Consultant for Global Economics and Finance Consulting (Monaco) and Associate Department Chair and Director of Graduate Programmes at the Department of Economics of the American University in Cairo. She is a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Diplomacy and Economy. Her research focuses on international macroeconomics, comparative economic studies, and sustainability.

David Sims is an independent urban development economist and consultant, specialized in land management, housing and area up-grading. He has had over fifty years of professional experience with major donor agencies and host governments, all in African, Middle Eastern, and Southeast Asian countries. He resides in Egypt. He has authored three books and numerous articles about the challenges facing urban areas and the often-mistaken approaches adopted by both donors and host governments. He holds a masters in city planning from Harvard University and a bachelors in economics from Yale University.

Dina Armanious is currently a Professor of Statistics at Cairo University’s Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Egypt. With over two decades of expertise, she specializes in the analysis of household survey data, Food security assessments, Income and Multidimensional poverty analysis in Arab countries, Arab Middle-class dynamics and Inequality, Social Protection analysis and Impact evaluation. She is co-authoring reports on poverty and multidimensional poverty, inequality, food security and middle class in MENA region for governments, research centers and national and international organizations such as UNDP, WORLD BANK, UNICEF, WFP, ESCWA, UNHCR, and the League of Arab States, covering regions like Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Oman. Recently she co-authored “The Middle Class in Arab Countries’, ESCWA publication, 2023, “Mobility in Income Poverty Between 2010 and 2015 in Egypt”, (2019) World Economics Vol. 20 No. 1, “Understanding poverty and inequality in Egypt, Background Papers”, World Bank, June 2019, Chapter 2: The middle class in Egypt: size, trends, and profile.

Dina Atef Mandour is an Assistant Professor at the Economics Department at Faculty of Economics & Political Science, Cairo University. She obtained her PhD from Germany (University of Bonn) in 2006. Mandour’s main fields of interest include Computable General Equilibrium (CGEs) models, food security, gender, political economy and health policy. She has published on such topics in well reputed periodicals and worked in economic policy oriented centers and think tanks like the Egyptian Center for Economic Studies and Social Research Center at the American University in Cairo.

Mr. Ijjasz is currently a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC. He is a Senior Advisor to several international organizations and IFIs, including the ADB, AIIB, and the World Bank, with a focus on climate change adaptation. Mr. Ijjasz worked for 23 years at the World Bank, in more than 90 developing and emerging economies in all regions of the world – from fragile and conflict-affected countries to high-middle-income countries. He oversaw a portfolio of more than $80B of investments and close to 800 policy reports on infrastructure, sustainable development, and climate change. Mr. Ijjasz is a member of the Board of Directors of Miyamoto International, a humanitarian and disaster response company; Cadasta, a foundation that leverages technology to provide land right titles to indigenous peoples; and the Global Reporting Initiative, an organization that develops ESG standards currently used by more than 10,000 companies in more than 100 countries. Mr. Ijjasz has a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Hydrology and Water Resources. He has also lectured at Johns Hopkins University, Tsinghua University in Beijing, the National University of Singapore, and Georgetown University. Mr. Ijjasz has published books on climate change, organizational effectiveness, and knowledge management. He has been featured in, and has been an expert source to, several global media outlets such as CNN, Wall St. Journal, Time, The Economist, LA Times, and CNBC.

Ms. Fatma El Ashmawy has been an economist at the World Bank (WB) in Egypt since September 2023, following nearly four years as a consultant with the bank. She focuses on macroeconomic monitoring, preparing economic, fiscal, and policy notes, and contributing to key WB lending operations and reports. Previously, she served as a senior economist in the Macro-Fiscal Policy Unit at Egypt's Ministry of Finance, where Ms,she prepared medium-term fiscal projections and reported on key fiscal and economic developments. Fatma holds both a BA and an MA in Economics from the American University in Cairo.

Prof. Hanan Nazir is a professor at the Economics Department, Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University. She has held the position of the Head of the Labour Market Policies Unit at the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development since September 2020. She is also the advisor to the National wage council. She received her Ph.D. in Economics, in November 2009 at Cairo University. Her field of expertise is applied micro-econometrics, on gender and labor issues in Egypt and developing countries in general. She has published her research articles in different international peer-reviewed journals, including Middle East Development Journal, International Journal of Development Issues, and International Journal of Economics and Business Research.

Hebatalla Emam is currently working as an Associate Professor of Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University, where she teaches International Finance, Macroeconomic Theory and Feasibility Study courses. She obtained her Master and PhD degrees in Economics from the same faculty in 2012 and 2018, respectively. At present, she is also acting as an economic research expert at the Central Bank of Egypt, where she carries out some quantitative studies on the Egyptian economy. Moreover, she contributed as an economic expert in consultancy/research projects funded/supervised by the USAID in Egypt, the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development and the Institute of National Planning. Her research interests incorporate monetary economics, central banking, and international finance, where she published some research papers in international peer-reviewed journals. She has also participated in international conferences like MEEA and ASSA annual conferences, where she was granted the Ibn Khaldun Prize in 2020 for the best paper award. She has also served as a research associate at the Economic Research Forum (EFR) and acted as a reviewer in international peer-reviewed journals.

Dr. Iman Elshair is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University. She obtained her PhD. in International Economics in 2014 from The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland. Her dissertation was titled “Essays in International Macroeconomics”. She obtained her MSc. in 2006 in Institutional Economics from Cairo University.  Her research interests include the macroeconomic effects of commodity price shocks, oil subsidies, international transmission mechanisms of monetary policies, industrial policies; institutional economics as well as labor economics.

Islam Abdelbary is an Egyptian economist and an Associate Professor of Economics at the Arab Academy for Science and Technology since 2006. He is currently the Head of academic departments and Vice Dean for postgraduate studies and research, besides an Economic Consultant at the United Nations. Dr Abdelbary holds a PhD from the University of Plymouth in the UK and his BSc and MSc degrees in Economics from Alexandria University. His current research focuses on Institutional Economics, Sustainability and Economic Development. He has published books and several research papers in ranked journals on topics in development reform policy in developing countries, besides presenting numerous working papers at international conferences. Moreover, Abdelbary works as a professional analyst in research projects for the Egyptian government, the Arab League, and some EU and WHO projects.

Israa A. El Husseiny is a Professor at the Economics Department, Faculty of Economics and Political Science (FEPS), Cairo University. She is actively involved in research pertaining to public finance and public economics, with an emphasis on issues of budgeting and budgetary institutions; fiscal policy; education finance; and public financial management. Prof. El Husseiny obtained her PhD and Master’s in Economics from FEPS, in 2014 and 2009, respectively. In 2021, Prof. Israa A. El Husseiny won the State Incentive Award in the Economic and Legal Sciences, by the Supreme Council of Culture. She has been working as an expert in economic policy; public finance; budget and fiscal decentralization; human development; and financing sustainable development for different international organizations in several development projects in Egypt. Prof. Israa was one of the authors of “Egypt’s Human Development Report 2021” and “Financing Sustainable Development in Egypt Report 2022”. She also was one of the drafting team members of Egypt’s National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2023-2030. Her research articles have appeared in reputable and peer-reviewed international journals.

John Owusu-Afriyie is currently a Programme Manager at the Department of Research and Macroeconomic Management, West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM), Lagos, Nigeria. He is a staunch Ghanaian Scholar, Researcher and Economist. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics with Russian Language and a Master of Philosophy degree awarded by the University of Ghana, Legon (2008 and 2012 respectively). He also studied the Craft of Scholarly Writing at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (Geneva, Switzerland). John was also awarded a Doctor of Philosophy Degree (Ph.D.) in Development Economics by the University of Ghana, in collaboration with the United Nations University. Prior to his appointment as a Programme Manager, he had been in academia for 8 years. His publication on the topic, “Effect of Chinese FDI on Economic Growth in Africa”, won him the 2018 Emerald Literati Award (Highly Commended Paper Category).

Prof. Magued Osman is a distinguished Egyptian academic, statistician, and policy expert. He is currently the CEO of the Egyptian Center for Public Opinion Research (Baseera), Egypt's first independent polling center, which gained prominence for conducting transparent public opinion surveys during the 2012 Presidential elections. Prof. Osman also serves as the Chairman of Telecom Egypt and is a Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science at Cairo University. Additionally, he is a member of the National Council for Women, the Acting Chairman of the Arab Union for Statisticians, and a Board Member of Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper.

Prof. Osman has held key governmental positions, including Chairman of the Egyptian Cabinet of Ministers' Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC) from 2005 to 2011, and was appointed Minister of Communications and Information Technology in 2011. He has also worked as a short-term consultant for various international organizations, including UN ESCWA, UN Women, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, and the World Bank. His contributions include formulating the national strategies for Women Empowerment and Gender Equality, the national strategy for population, and leading the establishment of the Egypt Women Observatory. Prof. Osman is a highly respected figure in Egypt's academic, telecommunications, and policy circles.

Maha Rashied is an accomplished economist with six years of professional experience and a Master of Arts in Economics from The American University in Cairo, where she graduated with highest honors. She specializes in fiscal diagnostics, debt sustainability, and macroeconomic forecasting, combining analytical rigor with practical expertise. Maha has worked with international organizations such as USAID and multinational corporations, including spearheading the establishment of a Fiscal Risk Unit for Egypt's Ministry of Finance and contributing to green budgeting initiatives.

As an adjunct lecturer and economic consultant, Maha advises leading multinationals on market entry strategies, economic trends, and regulatory shifts, shaping corporate strategies and guiding decision-making. Her expertise spans macroeconomic modeling, fiscal policy evaluation, and risk assessment, with a strong focus on delivering actionable insights. Committed to fostering sustainable growth, Maha leverages her skills to address complex economic challenges in both consultancy and policy research contexts.

Dr. Mariam Hamza is a Health Economics Consultant at The World Bank’s Health, Nutrition and Population Global Practice and Aceso Global.  She supports various projects related to health system strengthening. With six years of experience working with the World Bank Group, Mariam has gained broad knowledge in the field of Health Economics. She has worked with 10 countries across the MENA, Africa, and East Asia regions, contributing to a wide range of health-related activities. Mariam's primary focus lies in health financing and human resources for health. In her research, she employs a diverse range of methodologies, including discrete choice experiments and quasi-experimental methods. Mariam co-authored over 25 research articles, working papers, and book chapters. She holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from the American University in Washington D.C. Her Ph.D. research specifically explores the production and distribution of human resources for health in Egypt.

Marina Hesham is an Assistant Lecturer of Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University. She holds a B.A. in Economics from the Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University and an M.A. in Economics from the University of Paris-1 Panthéon Sorbonne. She is currently doing her PhD in both Cairo University and University of Paris-1 Panthéon Sorbonne. Her research interests include gender economics, microeconomics, and micro-econometrics.

Marina Iskander is a PhD Candidate at the University of Cambridge, focusing on competition law and trade policy in developing countries. Her activities during the PhD include serving as a Research Assistant at the Faculty of Law; working on ad hoc reports, such as with the UNCTAD, as a subject matter expert in (Egyptian) competition law; editing for the Cambridge International Law Journal; and publishing papers on competition law in developing countries. She previously worked at the Egyptian Competition Authority, first as a Legal Researcher and then as Head of the Competition Policy and Competitive Neutrality Department. She was also seconded by the Authority to the OECD’s Competition Division. She completed her LLB and LLM at the University of Manchester, as well as an MA in Economics for Competition Law at King’s College London.

Mazen Mohamed is a Research Associate at Egypt Impact Lab, J-PAL Middle East and North Africa, where he is currently working on an RCT evaluating the impact of a program targeting irregular migration in Egypt. In addition, he is working on an RCT addressing social perceptions of vocational education in Egypt. He holds a double degree in economics from the Faculty of Economics and Political Science at Cairo University (French section), and the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne where he also received his master's degree in development economics.

Moamen Gouda is Professor of Middle East Economics at the Graduate School of International and Area Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS), Seoul, South Korea. His research focuses on Institutional Economics of Muslim-majority Countries, Law and Economics of Islam, Economics of Crime and Terrorism, and Islamic Constitutionalism. He is a research affiliate at CESifo, MACIE, ERF, and Hamburg University’s Institute of Law and Economics.

Moamen Gouda received his Ph.D. in economics from Philipps-University Marburg. He received his MBA from Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University, UK. His work has appeared in international journals such as Terrorism and Political Violence, Political Research Quarterly, Public Choice, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, Economic Systems, Constitutional Political Economy, European Journal of Law and Economics and the British Journal of Middle East Studies, among others. His work has been cited in many media outlets including Arirang News, SBS, Economy Chosun, China Daily, National Affairs, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and the Harvard Crimson.

Mohamed Alkhuzamy Aziz has been a professor of Geo-Informatics and GeoAI at Fayoum University since 2011. Prior to this role, he held the position of Dean of the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences and chaired the Geography Department at Galala University from 2020 to 2022. His academic journey spans four European and Arab universities, and he has served as a visiting professor at nine prestigious institutions across Europe, the United States, and Canada. Since 2016, he has been the co-chair of the scientific committee for promotions in Geography at Al-Azhar University. Additionally, he has contributed to the National Committee for Establishing National Universities in Egypt since 2018. His involvement extends to the Research Council for Social and Population Studies at the Ministry of Scientific Research, where he has been a fellow since December 2015. Recently, in 2024, he became a member of the Committee for Confronting Extremism within the Supreme Council of Culture, further showcasing his commitment to academic and social issues.

Prof. Mohammed Omran is a Professor of Financial Economics at the Graduate School of Business, Arab Academy for Science and Technology. Recently, he was a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Alberta and a Sonoco Visiting Fellow at the Darla Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina. Previously, he served as Chairman of the Financial Regulatory Authority and the Egyptian Stock Exchange for over a decade. He has been a Visiting Scholar/Professor at various research and academic institutions. Additionally, Professor Omran was the Vice Chair of the International Organization for Securities Commissions (IOSCO), Chairman of the Federation of Euro-Asian Stock Exchanges (FEASE), and an International Board Member at the Privatization Agency of Kosovo. He has authored and co-authored over 40 papers in international economics and finance journals. According to Google Scholar, Professor Omran is the most cited financial economist in Egypt, with more than 5,700 citations.

Ms. Mona Elsayed is an Assistant Lecturer of Economics and a PhD student at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University. She also works as a technical coordinator at the Migration Research Unit (MRU) at the same faculty. Mona has also participated in many research activities undertaken by different research institutions, including the Euro-Mediterranean Network for Economic Studies (EMEA), Economic Research Forum (ERF), American University in Cairo (AUC), Information and Decision Support Centre (IDSC), and the Middle East Centre of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Her primary research interests lie in the fields of Labor Economics and Migration.

Mona E. Fayed is a Professor at the Economics Department of the Faculty of Economics and Political Science (FEPS), Cairo University. She got her Ph.D. in Economics in 2010 and was awarded the best Ph.D. thesis by Cairo University. Mona is currently the Assistant Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation for Sustainable Development Affairs. Also, she is a member of the Advisory Board of the International Journal of Euro- Mediterranean Studies (IJEMS), published by the Euro-Mediterranean University (EMUNI), as well as a member of the Editorial Associate Board of the Scientific Journal of Faculty of Economics and Political Science (REPS). Additionally, she was Former Deputy Director of the Center for Economic & Financial Research Studies (CEFRS) at FEPS, Cairo University and a fellow at the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT), Council of Economic and Administrative Sciences, since 2015. Mona was a visiting scholar at Andrew Young School, International Studies Program, Georgia State University in 2011 and a Visiting Professor at the Institute of Law and Economics, Hamburg University in 2013. She has several published articles in the domain of monetary and institutional economics.

Mr. Mustafa Amer is an Energy Technology Analyst and Senior Petroleum Engineer with expertise in developing natural gas and energy technology insights for long-term energy forecasting. Experienced in energy systems focusing on natural gas long term supply and demand and energy system modeling. Background in petroleum engineering and well integrity management with a major E&P company (Shell JV). Holds dual master's degrees: MSc in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Aberdeen and MSc in Innovation Management jointly from Cairo University and the University of Cambridge.

Ms. Nadine Alaa Dessouky is an economist with over 10 years of experience in research and teaching. She serves as an Assistant Lecturer at Cairo University’s Faculty of Economics and Political Science, specializing in macroeconomics, monetary and fiscal policy, and sustainable development. Nadine earned her M.Sc. in economics and is currently working on her PhD at her affiliated faculty, focusing on public debt sustainability in Egypt. Besides her research work. She has also contributed to projects with UN Women and UNICEF, addressing gender-responsive budgeting and child welfare.

Dr. Emara received her M.A. and her Ph.D. in Economics from Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick. Upon finishing her Ph.D., Dr. Emara served as a Term Assistant Professor of Economics at Barnard College, Columbia University where she taught Economic Reasoning, Econometrics, Money and Banking, Labor Economics, and Development Economics. Dr. Emara also taught courses at Drew University, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, and Helwan University. Among the courses she has taught at the three universities are Econometrics, Mathematical Economics, Economic Fluctuations, Money and Banking, and Intermediate Macro. Her current research program includes five streams of research suitable for peer-review: (1) explorations of the impact of governance and economic freedom on economic growth; (2) explorations of development in developing countries; (3) examinations of monetary and financial issues; (4) papers related to predictions and forecasting; and (5) co-authored microeconomics papers in which she supplied the econometrics part.

Dr. Nora Aboushady is Associate Professor of Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University and Senior Researcher at the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS). She is also Research Associate at the Economic Research Forum and the Euro-Mediterranean and African Network for Economic Studies, and a consultant for the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in addition to several international organizations. She has a range of publications including articles in peer-reviewed journals, policy reports, policy briefs, and book chapters. Her areas of interest include international trade, trade policy, global value chains, and industrial policy, with a regional focus on the Middle East and Africa.

Perihane Badr is currently a PhD student in International Development at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Seoul, South Korea. She previously held the position of a researcher at the Governance Center, National Institute of Governance and Sustainable Development (NIGSD) in Egypt. She is also a part-time researcher, assistant and consultant for several projects with local and international organizations including the UNDP, FERDI, and UNICEF. Perihane received her master’s degree in Development Economics from University Paris 1 Panthéon- Sorbonne in 2020, and her bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University. Her research interests include gender and development studies, institutions and governance for sustainable development.

Racha Ramadan is a professor of Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science (FEPS), Cairo University. She got her Ph.D. in Economics, in 2010, from Toulouse School of Economics, France. Since 2010, she participated in several research projects for different international organizations such as the UNDP, World Bank, UN-ESCWA, UN-FAO, IFAD, OECD, UNESCO and ILO.  She was the representative of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) in Egypt (2023-2024). She is an ERF research fellow, a fellow of the Summer Program in Social Science (SPSS) at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton and a member of the Associate Editorial Board of New Medit- A Mediterranean Journal of Economics, Agriculture and Environment. She is a lauréate of the Programme Femme d’Avenir en Méditerranée- Sciences Po Paris and is the Country Deputy Director for the Euro-Mediterranean Network for Economic Studies (EMNES) for Egypt. Racha Ramadan was a visiting scholar at Hamburg University in Germany (2012), at Chicago University Center in Paris (2013) and at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, Minnesota University in USA (2014).  She has several papers published in peer reviewed journals as Review of Income and Wealth and Food Policy. Her research interests include applied micro-econometrics on poverty, inequality, food security, gender and human development in Egypt and other developing countries.

Rana Hendy is the principal investigator of the Egypt Economic Development and Policies project at the American University in Cairo (AUC).
Dr. Hendy is an Economist and Policy Analyst specializing in labor and gender economics, with a Ph.D. from the Paris School of Economics and CREST-INSEE in France (2011). She is currently an Assistant Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the American University in Cairo (AUC), where she also serves as Director of the Master’s Program in Public Policy.
Dr. Hendy's research focuses on labor and demographic policies in developing countries, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Her current work addresses post-COVID challenges for female employment in Arab economies, gender inequality, inequality of opportunity in education, labor markets, family formation, international migration, and the impact of trade and fiscal policies on inequality and poverty.
She is a Research Fellow at the Economic Research Forum (ERF) in Cairo, where she previously served as Thematic Director for Equity and Inequality and the Gender themes between 2012 and 2015. She has consulted for several international organizations, including the World Bank, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN ESCWA), and the Middle East Council on Global Affairs.
Previously, Dr. Hendy was an Assistant Professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies (2016–2019) and at the College of Business and Economics at Qatar University. She also served as an Economist at ERF from 2011 to 2014.
Her academic work has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Demographic Research, Applied Economics, International Journal of Educational Development, The Journal of North African Studies, and International Trade Journal. She has contributed to four Oxford University Press volumes on labor markets in the MENA region.

My name is Rasha Fouad Abd El Rahman Mohamed Younes, born in Cairo. I have graduated from Faculty of Economics and Political Science- Cairo University Major Economics and Minor Computer Science grade very good with honor. In 2006, I obtained the degree of M.Sc. of Economics in “Impact of Information Technology on E-banking Services in Egyptian Banking System”. In April 2013, I obtained my PhD. Degree in Economics in “Analysis of ICT Diffusion – Egypt Case”. I started my academic career in the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport in 2005, as Teaching Assistant then as a Lecturer in 2013 after obtaining my PhD degree, and on 1st Feb 2015, I was promoted to the position of Vice Dean of Training Affairs and Community Service. I was promoted to professor in April 2023.

Rawda Ali is a development professional with over 18 years of experience in economic policy, social development, and governance. She currently serves as the Manager of the Egypt Economic Development and Policies (EEDP) project at the American University in Cairo's School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

Prior to her current role, she was an Assistant Professor of Practice at Nile University's School of Business Administration. Her expertise spans a wide range of areas, including economic empowerment, international cooperation, and local economic development, governance and sustainable development. She has worked with various organizations, including the World Bank Group, the International Labor Organization, and the Egyptian government, contributing to policy reforms and program implementation.

Dr. Rehab is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Damietta University-Egypt and a postdoc Researcher at BJUT-China. She has (+14) years of experience teaching undergraduate students, doing scientific research, and conducting academic writing. She authored (+15) research papers, review papers, and chapter books in reputable peer-reviewed journals (SCI, SCCI) in energy and environmental economics.

Ms. Reham ElDesoki, for nearly 30 years, pursued a career in policy work and economic research holding senior positions at local and international financial institutions, in addition to the US Embassy in Cairo, publishing on economic and investment issues and advising international investors on Egypt and the MENA region.

She worked with the government in senior economic positions, think tanks, donor agencies and the media, locally and internationally. In 2018, Ms ElDesoki founded Egypt’s first Sovereign Fund and was its first Chief Strategy Officer until the end of year 2022. Since 2023, Ms ElDesoki has been consulting with local and foreign private firms, government and international organizations.

Ms ElDesoki has a BSc. in Economics from the Faculty of Economics and Political Sciences (FEPS), Cairo University, an MA. in International Economics from the American University in Cairo (AUC) and a Public Policy Analysis Certificate from London School of Economics (LSE).

Reham Rizk serves as the Director of the Egypt Impact Lab (EIL), a collaborative initiative between the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development and J-PAL MENA. This innovative partnership aims to strengthen poverty reduction policies by rigorously evaluating promising government programs. In this capacity as the Director of the Egypt Impact Lab, Rizk assumes a leadership role in steering the Lab’s strategic initiatives and ensuring the highest standards of research, policy outreach and capacity building. Her multifaceted responsibilities include providing both strategic and technical oversight, thereby shaping the trajectory of the Lab’s growth and impact. Rizk was the Head of the Modelling and Social Planning and Development Unit at the  Ministry of Planning and Economic Development. Simultaneously, she holds the position of an Associate Professor of Economics in the University of London at the European Universities in Egypt and in the Master’s Program in Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University.

Dr. El-Saharty, MD, MPH, is Senior Health Policy Advisor and Consultant at the World Bank.  He was Lead Health Policy Specialist at the World Bank for 25 years, responsible for leading policy dialog and strategy development as well as managing programs in more than 25 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. He had held the position of Assistant Professor at Georgetown University in the United States. He has more than 80 publications including journal articles, books, book chapters, and technical reports. He is a medical doctor with a Fellowship in Social and Economic Policy from Kennedy School and a Master’s degree in International Health Policy and Management from Harvard University.

Sameh Wahba is the Regional Director for Sustainable Development at the World Bank's Europe and Central Asia region.In this capacity, he oversees all World Bank lending, technical assistance, partnerships, and policy advisory work in sustainable development in the region, including agriculture and food, climate change, environment, natural resources and the blue economy, social inclusion and sustainability, water, urban, disaster risk management, resilience, and land. He oversees a portfolio of $10bn in lending commitments and a team of 200 professionals based in DC and 23 regional offices. Previously, he worked as Global Director for Urban, Disaster Risk Management, Resilience and Land Global Practice, where he oversaw a $30bn lending portfolio and a professional staff of 450 globally. He holds a Ph.D. and Masters in urban planning from Harvard University and has 25 years' experience in urban development, land, housing, disaster risk management, infrastructure, and sustainable development. His publications on cities, housing, land, infrastructure, and finance include books, chapters in edited volumes and articles in peer-reviewed journals. He is a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Future Cities Council, the advisory board for the WRI Ross Center for Cities, and he serves as Commissioner in the Global Commission for Urban SDGs Finance chaired by Professor Sachs and Mayors Hidalgo and Paes.

Dr. Sarah El-Khishin is an Associate Professor of Economics. She holds the roles of Director of Strategy Development and University Advisor on SDGs at the British University in Egypt. Professional experience is in macroeconomic analysis, public financial management and strategic planning and governance. Dr. El-Khishin has experience as a senior economic advisor with the Egyptian government and national and international organizations. Published academic works are in international finance and macroeconomics, public finance, political economy, sustainable and climate finance and green public financial management.

Dr. Shereen Mostafa Bacheer is a Lecturer at Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University, and an Associate Professor at the College of Business, Zayed University, UAE. She graduated from Cairo University in 1995 and has over 25 years of teaching and research experience. She earned her Ph.D. in Economics from Cairo University in 2013, then joined Zayed University in 2015, her research focuses on international economics, banking, labor economics, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development. She has published in leading academic journals and presented her work at international conferences.

Shimaa Hanafy is an Associate Professor of Development Economics at the Division of International Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Seoul, South Korea. She is also a Research Fellow at the Economic Research Forum (ERF). Dr. Hanafy received her doctorate degree (Dr. rer. pol.) in economics from Philipps-University Marburg in Germany, where she also served as a lecturer and coordinator of the master’s program “Economics of the Middle East” for six years. She received the German Diplom in economics (Diplom-Volkswirtin, equivalent to a combined BA and MA) from Passau University in Germany.

Dr. Hanafy has been awarded the Ibn Khaldun Prize for best paper from the Middle East Economic Association and the Best Young Researcher Award from the School of Business and Economics at Philipps-University Marburg. Her research interests include development and institutional economics, political economy, foreign direct investment and the economics of conflict and terrorism. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Public Choice, Journal of International Trade and Economic Development, Political Research Quarterly, Terrorism and Political Violence, and the European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research.

Suzanna is a Professor of Economics and Sustainability with over 22 years of expertise in academia and industry. She is currently the Chair of the Sustainability Program at the College of Interdisciplinary Studies- Zayed University. Her passion lies in advocating for human wellbeing and exploring innovative ways to apply circular economy practices, spearheading the development of Eco-Industrial Parks in the MENA region. As a recognized Economic Research Forum (ERF) Fellow and Higher Education Academy (HEA) Fellow, Suzanna earned her Ph.D. in Sustainable Development (2009) and MSc in Finance (2004) from Cairo University. With a robust background spanning two decades, she has excelled in research, policy formulation, and teaching across the Middle East. Suzanna's research interests are truly multidisciplinary, encompassing Economics, Finance, Sustainable Development, Economics of Education, and Behavioural Economics. Her impactful contributions include numerous scholarly papers in esteemed journals and active involvement in government and private sector consultancy projects. Notably, she is the founder of the Sustainability Club and InveSlamic Club, COP28 Simulation Model Coordinator, and currently leads the Sustainability Program at Zayed University.

Areas of Specialization: Economics, Sustainability, Finance, Economics of Education, and Welfare Economics.

Prof. Taha Ahmed Kassem is the Head of the Political Science Department at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) in Alexandria, Egypt, at the Miami Branch. He serves as a Professor of International Political Economy with a specialization in Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and International Relations. In addition to his academic role, Prof. Kassem is the Head of Quality Assurance of Education at AASTMT and actively contributes to various institutional bodies. He is a member of the Validation Committees of International Education and Programs, the College of Management and Technology Council (CMT), and the Strategic Planning Committee. His academic and professional engagements extend internationally, with active participation in international conferences and contributions to global academic discussions. Prof. Kassem’s fields of interest and specialization include International Political Economy, Foreign Direct Investments (FDI), International Relations, International Economic Institutions, International Business, International Business Law, and International Arbitration.

Vladimir Hlasny is an economic affairs officer with the poverty and inequality research team at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia in Beirut. Prior to joining ESCWA, he served as an associate professor of Economics at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. He presently conducts research in labor and welfare economics, particularly in relation to Asia and the Middle East. He holds a doctorate in Economics from Michigan State University.

Ms. Wafaa El Baba is a Team Lead Economist at AI Economic Pulse think tank. She has previously served as junior economist at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). She works on development and labor economics with a focus on the middle class in Arab countries and global development challenges.  Her research work extends to women’s economic participation, skills-mismatch, and applied microeconometrics. She has a Master of Arts in Applied Economics from the Lebanese American University.

Dr. Ziad Ahmed Bahaa-Eldin is a prominent Egyptian attorney, politician, and expert in financial and business law. He served as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Cooperation from 2013 to 2014 and was a former member of the Egyptian Parliament. Dr. Bahaa-Eldin has held key positions in the financial and regulatory sectors, including Chairman of the Egyptian Financial Supervisory Authority (2009-2010) and Chairman of the Egyptian General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (2004-2007). He was also a senior legal advisor to the Central Bank of Egypt (2011) and served on its Board of Directors (2003-2010), as well as on the board of the National Bank of Egypt (2004-2010).

In addition to his government roles, Dr. Bahaa-Eldin is the founder of Thebes Consultancy and the Ahmed Bahaa-Eldin Cultural Foundation, which promotes education and creative thinking among youth in Upper Egypt. Dr. Bahaa-Eldin holds a Ph.D in Financial Law from the London School of Economics (1996), an LLM in International Business Law from King’s College London, a BA in Economics from the American University in Cairo (1987), and a Bachelor of Law from Cairo University (1986).