Nobel Laureate and J-PAL Co-Founder Abhijit Banerjee Visits UAE and Qatar to Advance Evidence-Informed Policymaking

Abu Dhabi, UAE — The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT announced today that Professor Abhijit Banerjee, Nobel laureate and J-PAL co-founder, visited the United Arab Emirates and Qatar for a series of high-level engagements with government leaders, philanthropists, academic institutions, and civil society organizations.

The visit underscores J-PAL’s growing partnerships in the Middle East and its commitment to creating opportunities to advance data-driven policymaking in the Gulf region.During the visit, Professor Banerjee participated in events that showcase evidence-informed solutions to urgent social and economic challenges:

  1. November 24, Public lecture at NYU Abu Dhabi: Professor Banerjee reflected on what we’ve learned about poverty alleviation from a decade and a half of rigorous evaluation, policy interventions, and global upheavals. From the evolution of development policy to the impact of new crises such as Covid and climate change, this session provided a thought-provoking look at the shifting landscape of poverty research—and what the future may hold.
  2. November 25, World Innovation Summit for Education in Doha: He joined a high-level roundtable, participated in a fireside chat on effective education strategies, and delivered closing keynote remarks, sharing reflections on how education systems worldwide can adopt more evidence-informed policies to improve learning outcomes at scale.
  3. Meetings with government, NGO, and civil society leaders: He met with partners across the region who are shaping impact-oriented approaches to poverty reduction to explore opportunities for collaboration.

J-PAL’s growing presence in the MENA region—across sectors such as education, health, youth employment, gender, climate resilience, and social protection—aims to expand the evidence base available to governments and donors, while establishing trusted partnerships with governments and civil society organizations to set ambitious agendas for more effective programs and policies. J-PAL MENA’s Egypt Impact Lab, Hub of Advanced Policy Innovation for the Environment, and Morocco Innovation and Evaluation Lab serve as models for this type of collaboration.

“This region is already home to forward-thinking philanthropy and policy evaluation,” said Ahmed Elsayed, Executive Director of J-PAL MENA. “Evidence-informed policymaking has never been more critical than it is today. The challenges we face—economic uncertainty, learning crises, climate pressures, and demographic change—require solutions that are grounded in data and designed to maximize impact.”

Abhijit Banerjee’s visit reinforces J-PAL’s mission to ensure that rigorous evidence informs policy decisions worldwide. As countries navigate complex global challenges, rigorous research and strong partnerships remain essential to scaling effective and equitable solutions.

For more information about J-PAL’s work in the Gulf region or to explore opportunities for collaboration, please contact Nadeen ElAshmawy and Nour Shammout.

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