Consultancy & Policy Work

Primary expertise: GCC and MENA labour market, migration and public sector reform issues

Senior advisor in policy research project on the potential introduction of a minimum wage in a major GCC economy, 2023

International Labour Organization, lead researcher for project on migrant worker sponsorship reform in Qatar, 2018-19

Member of the advisory panel for the UAE’s federal Education and Human Resources Council, 2018-

Foreign and Commonwealth Office, author of study on public-private partnership in the GCC region, 2016

Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ): senior expert for a project on SME finance in a major GCC economy, 2015-2016

GCC Council of Ministers of Labour, in-depth report on improving internal labor mobility for foreign workers in the GCC, 2014-15

OECD, lead researcher in project on the economic impact of state-owned enterprises in MENA, 2012-2013

Foreign and Commonwealth Office, various briefings on MENA and Gulf political and economic issues, 2012-

World Bank, consultant for various projects related to labour market policy and long-term economic planning in the MENA region, 2011-

OECD, member of the MENA-OECD Task Force on Corporate Governance of SOEs, 2010-

ESCWA, lead author for report on impact of ESCWA macro-economic developments and economic policies on the region’s labour markets, July 2011 to January 2012

Arab Reform Initiative, coordinator of research project on the role of the Arab private sector in reform processes (with Giacomo Luciani and Marc Valeri), 2008-2011

European Commission/Gulf Research Center: various studies on Gulf economic development, 2008-2010

Impact of fiscal policy on growth patterns in various business sectors in GCC countries

Comparative study on labour market nationalization policies in the GCC

Study on institutional conditions for successful state-owned enterprises in rentier economies, with particular focus on the Gulf

Gesellschaft fuer technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ): expert author for labour market study in preparation of the 9th national Five Year Development Plan in the Saudi Ministry of Economy and Planning, Riyadh, 2008/09

Bertelsmann Foundation: study on the German EU presidency’s approach towards the Gulf, June 2007

European Parliament: study about the future of Arab economic integration and the EU’s role in the process, August/September 2006; testimony to the foreign affairs committee of the Parliament in Strasbourg on 24 October 2006

Gesellschaft fuer technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ): Plan Editor in the core planning team in charge of preparing the 8th national Five Year Development Plan in the Saudi Ministry of Economy and Planning, Riyadh, April 2003 to July 2004 (editing of all draft plan chapters, drafting of several plan chapters, including manpower, agriculture, education)