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about
Nur Arafeh is a fellow at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center, where she is co-leading the program on the political economy of the MENA region. Her research focuses on business-state relations, food insecurity, inequality, peacebuilding strategies, the development-security nexus and Palestinian-Israeli affairs.
Prior to her doctoral studies, Arafeh served as the policy fellow of Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network, where she conducted research on the political economy of the occupied Palestinian territories. She also previously worked as an associate researcher at the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS), where her research focused on issues related to private sector development, economic governance, the reconstruction process in Gaza, and food security. Nur has consulted for several Palestinian and international organizations on issues related to development policies, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and socioeconomic policy analysis. Her commentaries have appeared in English, Arabic and French in the Guardian, Le Monde Diplomatique, Al-Jazeera, and Al-Akhbar, among other outlets.
Arafeh also worked as a tutor with the University of Stanford, teaching a course on the political economy of the developing world. In 2014-2015, she was as a visiting lecturer of economics at Al-Quds Bard College, and in 2013, she worked as a teaching assistant of econometrics at Columbia University.
She has served on advisory boards including This Week in Palestine and the Palestinian Art Court-Al Hoash, and has been an editorial committee member with Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network, since 2021.
Arafeh holds a doctorate in international development as a Rhodes Scholar from the University of Oxford, a master’s in development studies from the University of Cambridge, and a dual-BA degree in political science and economics from Sciences Po Paris and Columbia University.
affiliations
education
PhD, University of Oxford, MPhil, University of Cambridge, BA, Columbia University, BA, Sciences Po Parislanguages
Arabic, English, FrenchAll work from Nur Arafeh
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This month marks the 80th anniversary of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Originally established to keep the Gold Exchange Standard, the IMF underwent a change in its mandate in the early 1970s to focus on development and helping struggling economies.
- Nur Arafeh,
- Alia Moubayed,
- Nabil Abdo
In the second of this four-part series, experts analyze Palestinian outlooks on what happens after the fighting abates.
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- Mkhaimar Abusada,
- Zaha Hassan,
- Sanaa Alsarghali,
- Imad Alsoos,
- Vladimir Pran,
- Nur Arafeh
The Middle East and North Africa is characterized by inequalities, and this will have profound consequences for economic growth, social cohesion, and, ultimately, political stability in the region.
In order to explore the complexities of our rapidly changing world, the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center will examine pressing global issues through four engaging panel discussions in a one-day event, under the collective title, “The World in Focus: Uncertainty and the Global Outlook for 2024.”
The Middle East and North Africa have been hit by food, energy, and debt crises that have exacerbated structural economic weaknesses of low- and middle-incomes countries, particularly Egypt, Tunisia, and Lebanon.
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- Amr Adly,
- Nur Arafeh,
- Hamza Meddeb,
- Manal Shehabi,
- Maha Yahya
The food, energy, and debt crises in the Middle East and North Africa have exacerbated structural economic weaknesses of low- and middle-income countries—particularly Egypt, Tunisia, and Lebanon—creating mounting pressure on domestic political orders and worsening these countries’ geopolitical marginalization.
Since October 7, the Israeli authorities have greatly reinforced their instruments of repression, as a form of vengeance for the Hamas attacks.
Despite Egypt’s possession of numerous economic resources, the country’s economic growth has yet to sufficiently reflect these advantages and meet the aspirations of the population. To delve deeper into these issues, the MHKCMEC and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace are organizing a hybrid event, in collaboration with AUC Press, on November 15, at 10 AM EST, 5:00 pm EET.
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- Nur Arafeh,
- Khalid Ikram,
- Timothy Kaldas,
- Mirette F. Mabrouk,
- Heba Nassar
Gazans with permits to work in Israel have long served as a pacification tool for the Israeli occupation, and continue to face abuse today.
For more on the situation in Gaza, “Marketplace Morning Report” host David Brancaccio spoke with Nur Arafeh, a fellow at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center.