Prof. Dr. Amirah El-Haddad
Department
Transformation of Economic and Social Systems
Function
Senior Researcher
Specialization
Economy
Work areas
- Industrial Organization
- Industrial Policy
- Political Economy
- Labor Market: Wage, Equality and Informality
Regional expertise
- Africa
- The Middle East and North Africa (MENA), in particular Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan
Vita
| since 1/2018 | German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) (until 6/2022 German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)) Researcher, Research Department "Transformation of Economic and Social Systems" |
| 8/2016-12/2017 | German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) Researcher Department "Nachhaltige Wirtschafts- und Sozialentwicklung" |
| since 2016 | Cairo University, Economics Department Professor Faculty of Economics and Political Science |
| 2/2015 | Stanford University, USA Visiting Fellow |
| 2010-2014 | American University in Cairo, Department of Public Policy and Administration, Egypt Visiting Associate Professor School of Global Affairs and Public Policy |
| 2014 | American University in Cairo, Department of Economics, Egypt Visiting Associate Professor School of Business |
| 2012 | American University in Cairo, Department of Economics, Egypt Visiting Associate Professor School of Business |
| 2011 | Cairo University, Economics Department Associate Professor Faculty of Economics and Political Science |
| 2011 | Georgia State University, Atlanta, USA Visiting Scholar Andrew Young School of Policy Studies |
| 2007 | British University in Egypt, Economics Department, El-Sherouk, Egypt Dozent, Arbeitsgruppe Politikwissenschaft im Postgraduierten-Studiengang „Master of European Studies“, Veranstaltungen zum politischen System der EU |
| 2005 | Cairo University, Economics Department Assistant Professor Faculty of Economics and Political Science |
| 6/2001-8/2001 | World Bank Consultant |
| 1998-1999 | Cairo University, Economics Department Associate Lecturer Faculty of Economics and Political Science |
| 1993/199898 | Cairo University, Economics Department Teaching Assistant Faculty of Economics and Political Science |
| 1994-1995 | Center for Developing Countries Studies Research Assistant for Human Development Report Faculty of Economics and Political Science |
Refereed Publications
-
Loewe, Markus / Amirah El-Haddad / Mark Furness / Annabelle Houdret / Tina Zintl
(2024)
Drivers of change in social contracts: building a conceptual framework
in: Mediterranean Politics, first published 17.07.2024 -
El-Haddad, Amirah / Chahir Zaki
(2023)
Vulnerability and resilience: crisis transmission channels for GVCs in COVID times
in: Economics Bulletin 43 (4), 1581-1592 -
El-Haddad, Amirah
(2023)
Political patronage and economic opportunity: vertical integration in Egyptian textiles and clothing
in: The European Journal of Develpment Research 35, 1224-1257 -
El-Haddad, Amirah / Chahir Zaki
(2023)
The role of political connections in COVID-19 policy response: effectiveness of firm-level government support in Egypt
in: Journal of Development Studies 59 (8), 1213-1235 -
El-Haddad, Amirah / Chahir Zaki
(2023)
Storm survivors: evidence from firms in times of pandemic
in: Journal of International Trade & Economic Development 33 (2), 165-198 -
Loewe, Markus (ed.)
(2021)
Framing the emergence of new social contracts in Middle East and North African countries
in: World Development, special issue -
El-Haddad, Amirah / May Mokhtar Gadallah
(2021)
The informalization of the Egyptian economy (1998–2012): a driver of growing wage inequality
in: Applied Economics 53 (1), 115-144 -
El-Haddad, Amirah
(2020)
Picking winners: identifying leading sectors for Egypt and Tunisia using the product space methodology
in: Review of Middle East Economics and Finance 16 (1), 1-60 -
El-Haddad, Amirah
(2020)
Redefining the social contract in the wake of the Arab Spring: the experiences of Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia
in: World Development 127, article 104774 -
El-Haddad, Amirah
(2017)
Welfare gains from utility reforms in Egyptian telecommunications
published on Utilities Policy 17 February 2017 -
El-Haddad, Amirah
(2015)
The causal chain of market based reform in Egyptian voice Telecommunication
in: Journal of Development Effectiveness 7 (4), 499-518 -
El-Haddad, Amirah
(2011)
Female wages in the Egyptian textiles and clothing industry: low pay and discrimination
in: Economic Research Forum, Working Paper 633
Non-refereed Publications
-
El-Haddad, Amirah / Caroline Krafft / Irene Selwaness / Ragui Assaad
(2026)
Labour demand and informal employment in Egypt’s manufacturing sector
in: The Economic Research Forum, Online -
El-Haddad, Amirah / Niels Keijzer / Mark Furness
(2026)
European cooperation with the Middle East and North Africa amid crisis and war
in: Mark Furness / Niels Keijzer (eds.), International development cooperation and the emerging global order, Bonn: German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), 47-50 -
El-Haddad, Amirah / Caroline Krafft / Irene Selwaness / Ragui Assaad
(2026)
Labour demand and informal employment in Egypt’s manufacturing sector
published on theforum.erf.org.eg, 25.04.2026 -
El-Haddad, Amirah / Caroline Krafft / Irene Selwaness / Ragui Assaad
(2026)
Formal and informal labor demand in Egyptian manufacturing firms
in: IZA DP (18500), Esch-sur-Alzette: Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) -
El-Haddad, Amirah / Chahir Zaki
(2025)
Household enterprises in Egypt: between survival and vulnerability
in: ERF Policy Brief 152 -
El-Haddad, Amirah / Chahir Zaki
(2025)
Household micro and small enterprises in Egypt: overview and developments through 2023
in: ERF Working Paper Series No. 1772 -
Loewe, Markus / Amirah El-Haddad / Tina Zintl
(2024)
Operationalising social contracts: towards an index of government deliverables
(Discussion Paper 8/2024) -
El-Haddad, Amirah / Phoebe Saad Wasfy Ishac
(2023)
The effect of COVID-19 on the gender employment gap in Egyptian manufacturing
in: Policy Research Working Paper No. 10646, Washington, D.C. : World Bank Group -
Amirah El-Haddad
(2023)
The Egyptian Industrial Firm Behavior Survey (2020/21)
Cairo, Egypt: Economic Research Forum -
White, Howard / Amirah El-Haddad
(2023)
Does foreign aid influence policy?
in: Markus Haverland / Wil Hout / Michal Onderco (eds.), Crossing Borders: Liber Amicorum for Professor A.Geske Dijkstra, Rotterdam: Erasmus University Rotterdam: Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, 111-116 -
El-Haddad, Amirah / Chahir Zaki
(2022)
Firm dynamics in times of COVID: evidence from Egyptian firms
in: ERF Working Paper Series No. 1586 -
El-Haddad, Amirah / Chahir Zaki
(2022)
Post Covid-19 firm-level government support in Egypt: uneven allocation and unequal effects
in: ERF Working Paper Series No. 1573 -
El-Haddad, Amirah / Chahir Zaki
(2022)
Firm closures and performance in a time of pandemic
in: ERF Working Paper Series No. 1530 -
El-Haddad, Amirah / Marian Adel / Hany Abdel-Latif / Fekadu Terefe
(2021)
Micro, small and medium–sized enterprises in the Arab region: structural vulnerabilities at a time of multiple shocks
New York: UNDP -
Leininger, Julia / Christoph Strupat / Yonas Adeto / Abebe Shimeles / Wilson Wasike
(2021)
The COVID-19 pandemic and structural transformation in Africa: evidence for action
(Discussion Paper 11/2021) -
Black, Anthony / Pallavi Roy / Amirah El-Haddad / Kamil Yilmaz
(2020)
The political economy of automotive industry development policy in middle income countries: a comparative analysis of Egypt, India, South Africa and Turkey
Manchester: Effective States and Inclusive Development (ESID) (Working Paper 143) -
El-Haddad, Amirah
(2019)
التصدير من أجل النمو: تحديد القطاعات الرائدة في مصر وتونس باستخدام منهجية فضاء المنتجات (Arabic Version of: Exporting for growth: identifying leading sectors for Egypt and Tunisia using the Product Space Methodology)
(Discussion Paper 5/2019) -
El-Haddad, Amirah
(2018)
Exporting for growth: identifying leading sectors for Egypt and Tunisia using the Product Space Methodology
(Discussion Paper 25/2018) -
El-Haddad, Amirah / May Gadallah
(2018)
The Informalization of the Egyptian economy (1998-2012): a factor in growing wage inequality?
Kairo: Economic Research Forum (Working Paper Series 1210) -
El-Haddad, Amirah
(2016)
رؤية لاتجاهات السياسة الصناعية المصرية فى ضوء بعض الدراسات المقارنة (Government intervention with no structural transformation: the challenges of Egyptian industrial policy in comparative perspective)
Economic Research Forum (ERF Working Paper Series 1038) -
El-Haddad, Amirah
(2015)
Breaking the shackles: the structural challenge of growth and transformation for Egypt's industrial sector
in: Structural transformation and industrial policy: a comparative analysis of Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey and case studies, European Investment Bank 2/3, 68-107
Opinion Pieces
-
El-Haddad, Amirah / Caroline Krafft / Irene Selwaness / Ragui Assaad
(2026)
How does the “Shadow Economy” operate in Egypt’s manufacturing sector? (in Arabic)
published on shorouknews.com, 07.05.26 -
El-Haddad, Amirah
(2026)
Im Gedenken an Ägyptens gescheiterte Revolution
published on macronom.de, 04.02.2026 -
El-Haddad, Amirah
(2026)
In Memory of Egypt’s Failed Revolution
Bonn: German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), The Current Column of 2 February 2026 -
El-Haddad, Amirah / Aboushady, Nora
(2025)
Europe's Double Standards in the Face of International Law
Bonn: German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), The Current Column of 24 June 2025 -
El-Haddad, Amirah / Jannis Grimm
(2022)
The costs of making Egypt an intimate partner on security affairs
Bonn: German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE), The Current Column of 14 March 2022 -
El-Haddad, Amirah
(2021)
Kuwaiti small businesses after the pandemic: time for a new social contract
published on The Forum (Economic Research Forum policy portal), 01.06.2021 -
El-Haddad, Amirah
(2021)
Has the ‘Unsocial’ Social Contract perished in the Middle East?
German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE), The Current Column of 25 January 2021 -
El-Haddad, Amirah
(2019)
Raising the minimum wage. رفع الحد الأدنى للأجر
published on The Forum - ERF Policy Portal - Economic Research Forum (ERF), 30.04.2019 -
El-Haddad, Amirah
(2019)
Why El-Sisi’s decision to raise Egypt’s minimum wage is not such a good one!
Bonn: German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE), (The Current Column of 15 April 2019) -
El-Haddad, Amirah
(2018)
Breaking Egypt's unsocial contract
published on Economic Research Forum (ERF) January 30, 2018 -
El-Haddad, Amirah / Omar El Shenety / Ahmed Abd Rabou
(2018)
Is Egypt’s economy stabilising the country?
Bonn: German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE), The Current Column of 29 January 2018 -
Loewe, Markus / Amirah El-Haddad / Mark Furness / Annabelle Houdret / Bernhard Trautner / Tina Zintl
(2016)
A new social contract for the countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Bonn: German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) (The Current Column of 5 December 2016)