Ibrahim Saif is no longer with the Carnegie Endowment.
Ibrahim Saif was a resident scholar at the Carnegie Middle East Center. An economist specializing in the political economy of the Middle East, his research focuses on economies in transition, international trade with an emphasis on Jordan and the Middle East, institutional governance, and labor-market economics.
In addition to his work at Carnegie, Saif serves as a consultant to numerous international organizations including the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the International Labor Organization. He is also a fellow with the Economic Research Forum and a member of the Global Development Network.
Prior to joining Carnegie, Saif was the director of the Center for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan and, until recently, served as the secretary general of the Economic and Social Council in Jordan. His recent projects have focused on the political economy of the Euro–Med Association agreement and the oil boom in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. In addition, Saif has taught at both the University of London and Yale University, where he led courses on the economies of the Middle East.
Saif is the editor of the book Jordanian Economy in a Changing Environment, and he co-authored a chapter (with Nesreen Barakat) in the book Market Dynamics and Productivity in Developing Countries: Economic Reforms in the Middle East and North Africa. He has also been published in numerous journals, including Middle East Law and Governance Journal and the Journal of Middle Eastern Geopolitics.
The private sector and the government, in collaboration with civil society organizations, must work together to avert an economic crisis and promote growth, stability, and the consolidation of democracy in Egypt.
Two years after the democratic revolutions in several Arab countries, the economic situation in the region remains precarious.
Egypt’s political leadership has not paid close enough attention to the economic situation at the street level.
A new development model for the Middle East and North Africa must be based on reform of the economic and political systems, in order to guarantee a successful outcome.
At a time of economic transformation in many Arab countries, the informal sector is subject to pressures and challenges that demand new approaches.
Although Arab economies are plagued by unemployment, income stratification, and worker inefficiency—creating productive and inclusive societies can still lift the region out of poverty.
The Middle East’s dignity revolutions are monumental events with far-reaching consequences. As Arab states attempt to transition from dictatorship to democracy, western donors must exhibit patience and support.
The Egyptian government must avoid inconsistent policies and adopt a clear economic vision in order to steer the country out of a long and dark tunnel.
Although the Arab Spring called for greater personal freedoms and better living conditions, economic reforms have so far failed to achieve an acceptable degree of social justice.
The relative political openness brought about by the Arab Spring in some countries provides an opportunity for the emergence of political and social forces that reflect the reality and aspirations of the middle class.