J-PAL Middle East and North Africa

J-PAL Middle East and North Africa (MENA), based at the American University in Cairo, leads J-PAL’s work in the Middle East and North Africa region. J-PAL MENA conducts randomized evaluations, builds partnerships for evidence-informed policymaking, and helps partners scale up effective programs.

Our research team evaluates the impact of social programs and policies in MENA, covering a wide range of sectors including social protection, employment, education, and gender. Through online and in-person courses, we train implementers, policymakers, donors, and advocates on how to generate and use rigorous evidence. Our policy team works to institutionalize learning from evidence and disseminate research results to governments and other partners.

American University in Cairo AUC

More about J-PAL Middle East and North Africa

Explore the J-PAL website to learn more about who we are, what we do, where we work, and how to engage with the J-PAL Middle East and North Africa team.

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Evaluations
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Staff
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News
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Event

Introducing J-PAL Middle East & North Africa: Building Partnerships to Accelerate Poverty Reduction and Foster Evidence-Informed Policy in MENA

J-PAL is proud to announce the launch of its newest regional office, J-PAL Middle East and North Africa, based at the American University in Cairo’s School of Business and launching in collaboration with Community Jameel. 

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Blog

Launching J-PAL’s newest regional office in the Middle East and North Africa

J-PAL MENA will support the region’s development priorities, including COVID-19 response and recovery. J-PAL MENA's Scientific Directors and Interim Executive Director lay out their vision for the office in this letter.

Blog

Egyptian rug firms weave their way into foreign markets

From 2011 to 2014, J-PAL affiliates David Atkin and Adam Osman, with co-author Amit K. Khandelwal, evaluated small rug producers in Egypt to understand how exporting affects firms’ profits and productivity.
Blog

Affiliate spotlight: Adam Osman on expanding opportunities for evaluation in the MENA region

Adam Osman is an assistant professor of economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and co-Scientific Director of J-PAL’s Middle East and North Africa initiative. He has been a J-PAL affiliate since 2016.