Development, Growth and Policy Reform in the Middle East and North Africa since 1950

About

The Belfer Center’s

Dubai Initiative Seminar

on

“Development, Growth and Policy Reform in the Middle East and North Africasince 1950”

With

Tarik M. Yousef

Assistant Professor of Economics,

Shaykh Al-Sabah Chair in Arab Studies,

School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University

The Dubai Initiative at The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs is proud to host a Seminar on “Development, Growth and Policy Reform in the Middle East and North Africa Since 1950” with Tarik M. Yousef, Assistant Professor of Economics, Shaykh Al-Sabah Chair in Arab Studies in the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, both in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

The September 11 attacks ignited global interest in the Middle East. Observers in the region and abroad were quick to highlight the development "deficits" in Middle Eastern societies which have been linked to everything from structural economic imbalances to deficient political systems, the curse of natural resources, and even culture and religion. This seminar examines the development history of the Middle East since 1950, providing a political economy framework for understanding past outcomes, current challenges and the potential for reform in the future.

After Dr. Yousef received his PhD in economics from Harvard University in 1997, he worked as an economist in the Middle East and African departments of the IMF until 2000. He specializes in development economics and economic history with a particular focus on the Middle East. His current research interests include the evolution and performance of labor markets, the political economy of policy reform, and the economic history of Egypt. In addition to his academic work, Dr. Yousef has been a consultant on Middle Eastern affairs to various government institutions and international organizations.