Funded by: Economic Research Forum (ERF), Ford Foundation, as well as regional research institutions across the Middle East and North Africa.
Through a series of collaborative research initiatives with the Economic Research Forum, this programme strengthens the evidence base for social protection, labour markets, informality and inequality across the Middle East and North Africa. The work combines comparative cross-country analysis with the development and harmonisation of regional datasets, generating evidence that enables researchers and policymakers to better understand emerging social and economic challenges. In addition to producing academic publications and policy briefs, the programme contributes to building regional research capacity by supporting collaboration among universities, research institutes and policy organisations. The research has informed policy discussions on the future of social protection systems, labour market inclusion and social insurance reforms in several MENA countries.
