Editorial
Al-Rabat newsletter returns today, with a cognitive momentum, and a plethora of news and portals of knowledge, to be a platform that connects members of the Arab Society for Economic Research, and all those interested in it and its members, and a space that opens the horizons in front of its followers to
monitor and track the news of ASFER and its activities and the activity and interaction of its members.
Al-Rabat conveys the different conditions of knowledge in the fields that interest members and followers on the other hand.
The new board of directors of the association has approved , under the chairmanship of Professor Mahmoud Mohieldin, and with the follow-up and blessing of the Secretary-General of the Association Professor Dr. Ashraf Al-Arabi, the new form of doors and topics of Al-Rabat, to include a main section under the title “ASFER’s Blog” talking about one of the topics within the economic sphere and focuses on publishing economic knowledge, as well as another section under the title “Membership Flash” where one of the members of ASFER is introduced, especially those who have distinguished contributions in ASFER’s field of interest. This is in addition to a section under the title “Arab Economy”, which sheds light on one of the Arab economies from a structural angle, and from an aspect of defining some of its modern issues. Two Sections have been left at the beginning and end of the newsletter.
The former includes news that interests members in economic and academic affairs. The latter includes a selection of news relating to ASFER members, in terms of their contributions in knowledge and their participation in scientific and practical activities. Al-Rabat is happy to return to you with a distinctive bouquet of in this issue, to include a”Membership Flash” that introduces ASFER’s president, includes a contribution from Professor Nihal El-Megharbel, ASFER’s treasurer, with a vital article in the “Arab Economy” section that discusses the economy of the Sultanate of Oman. Professor AbdelHamid Al-Zigalie, member of the Board of Directors, and a well-known economic advisor, shares an important and resourceful article on the most important concepts in finance. Al-Rabat’s team is proud of the return of Al-Rabat as a communication platform with members of ASFER and the wider community interested in economic affairs and wishes for everyone to support this launch by providing the editorial team with their scientific and practical news, activities, and their resources of knowledge
that may interest and support this platform.
Al-Rabat is everyone’s window and platform; and its success in performing its role is not limited to the work of the editorial team, but to Everyone’s interaction with
it. We put it today between your hands, and we await your contributions, and your valuable comments to develop and update it. We look forward to communicating with you, and we await meeting you in the next issue, God willing…
NEWSLETTER
• ASFER intends to hold its 17th scientific conference in partnership with the Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government on the topic
“Climate Change and Its Implications for Arab Economic Development” during the period 4-5 November 2023. A number of research
proposals have been received and are being evaluated by the scientific committee. For more details, please visit ASFER’s website.
• ASFER announces the digitization of its Journal for Arab Economic Research and the uploading of all its issues on ASFER’s website. The
journal is also resuming issuances of its scientific journal with issue number 86/March 2023.
• The journal receives various contributions from research that can be arbitrated, in addition to special doors for opinion articles, book reviews,
seminars, scientific conferences, and analytical presentation of Arab and international economic developments. To send scientific contributions,
please register on the journal’s website.
• ASFER’s participation in the seventh Arab Development Report titled “Climate Change Challenges and their effects on Development in Arab
Countries” in partnership with the Arab Planning Institute, the Egyptian Institute of National Planning, and OAPEC.
JUNE 2023
Members’ News
• Ain Shams University awarded an honorary doctorate to Professor Mahmoud Mohieldin,
ASFER’s president, in appreciation of his contributions in the field of economics and
development. This was during the eleventh conference of the university, in the presence of Professor Mahmoud El-Metini, President of Ain Shams University, Dr. Mohamed Awad Tag ElDin, Presidential Advisor for Health and Prevention Affairs, and a group of scientists, academics
and researchers from within and outside Egypt.
• Professor Nihal El-Megharbel – ASFER’s treasurer – discussed the strategic planning guide
prepared by a group of consultants and experts from the Arab Planning Institute for the benefit
of the Ministry of Economy in Oman.
• Professor Fouad Hamdi Bessiso – participates with a research paper entitled “The role of central
banks in achieving the human moral mission of the green banking sector: The case of the Islamic
banking sector” in the twenty-first international conference to be held in Rotterdam, Netherlands
on the topic “Towards an economy that targets humans first: To achieve a prosperous world” and
to be held during the period 21-25 August 2023.
• The issuance of a decision by the Prime Minister of Egypt to appoint Professor Hala Muhammad
Sultan Abu Ali as Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies at the Egyptian Institute of
National Planning for a period of four years beginning in April 2023
Member Snapshot
Mahmoud Safwat Mohieldin is a professor at the Faculty of
Economics and Political Science, Cairo University. He
currently holds the position of Executive Director at the
International Monetary Fund as well as High-Level Climate
Champion for the Egyptian Presidency of the 27th
Conference of Parties (COP27). He also currently serves as
President of both the Arab Society for Economic Research
and the Middle East Economic Association.
Professor Mohieldin earned his Bachelor’s degree from the
Faculty of Economics and Political Science in 1986, where he
was top of his class. He received his postgraduate studies in
the United Kingdom, where he obtained a Master’s degree in
economic and social policy analysis from York University
followed by a diploma in quantitative analysis and
development, and a PhD in economics from Warwick
University. He held several positions in several local and
international institutions, including taking charge of the
Egyptian Ministry of Investment in the period from 2004 to
2010, before becoming the Managing Director of the World
Bank, becoming the first Egyptian and Arab to hold this
position. After the end of his tenure as Senior Vice President
of the World Bank in 2020, he was appointed special envoy
for the Secretary-General of the United Nations for financing
the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
President - Arab Society for Economic Research
Professor of Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University; Executive Director - International Monetary Fund; High-Level Climate Champion for Egypt and UN Special Envoy for financing the 2030 sustainable development agenda