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ERF 25th Annual Conference: Knowledge, Research Networks, and Development Policy
The Economic Research Forum’s (ERF) Annual Conference, a tradition maintained since 1995, has become the premier regional event for economists of the Middle East..more
Religion as a catalyst for trade: evidence from Turkish exports
By Alessia Lo Turco and Daniela Maggioni Does religious affinity help firms to get access to foreign markets? This column reports evidence that sharing Islamic beliefs with potential customers abroad eases..more
Improving the economic policy debate in the MENA region
By Sherine F. Ghoneim and Romesh Vaitilingam The Forum, a policy portal for the Middle East and North Africa, was launched in October 2017 with the aim of becoming ‘the platform’ for rich and relevant debates..more
Equity capital inflows, corporate finance and growth in emerging economies
By Charles Calomiris, Mauricio Larrain and Sergio Schmukler Studies of the relationship between foreign investor participation in public equity markets and aggregate economic activity in emerging economies find strong effects on productivity..more
Electoral participation in Turkey: what drives high voter turnout?
By Ali Akarca and Aysit Tansel Well-functioning democracies and economies require voters that evaluate the economic performance of governments and reward or punish them accordingly..more
On autocracy, democracy and populism: Tunisia and the wider Arab region
By Hajer El Ouardani and Samir Makdisi Different circumstances offer different opportunities for the emergence of populism. This column contrasts the rise of populist movements in the established democracies of the..more
Ownership structure and multinationals’ productivity: evidence from Turkey
By Çağatay Bircan Evidence is mixed on the effects of multinational activity on productivity and competitiveness in host economies. This column provides new evidence that previous estimates..more
Fiscal policy in the GCC countries: towards ensuring sustainability
By Assil El Mahmah and Magda Kandil The countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are all seeking to promote diversification of their economies away from continued dependence on the energy sector, yet oil prices..more
Arab economic integration: trade and growth policy after the crises
By Simon Neaime Greater economic and financial integration of the Arab countries is widely agreed to be essential both to promote growth and to shelter the region more effectively from..more