Online Briefing: Covid-19 Response: a UNDP - Derasat Perspective
This online briefing held on Thursday 27th August, 2020, presented the aims of carrying out a joint UNDP-Derasat socio-economic assessment on the impacts of Covid-19 in Bahrain. The speakers, Mr. Stefano Pettinato, Regional Representative for UNDP in Bahrain, and Dr. Omar Al Ubaydli, Director of Studies and Research at Derasat, explained the intended process and outputs, and discussed the importance of building sound evidence to enhance mechanisms for preparedness and improved resilience to future crises.
Stefano Pettinato
UNDP Resident Representative
Kingdom of Bahrain
Mr. Stefano Pettinato is the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and currently also serving as the United Nations Resident Coordinator a.i., in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Before that, he served as UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Bahrain in 2017 and 2018.
His career at UNDP included assignments as Deputy Resident Representative for El Salvador and Belize, Regional Policy Adviser on Social Policy and Human Development at UNDP’s Regional Centre in Panama and the Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean in New York, and Policy Adviser in UNDP’s Human Development Report Office. He co-authored the 2003 and 2004 editions of the Global Human Development Report.
Before joining UNDP, Mr. Pettinato worked at the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. He also served as a Research Fellow at the Brookings Institution, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and as a consultant at SWIFT.
He is co-author of the book “Happiness and Hardship: Opportunity and Insecurity in New Market Economies” with Carol Graham (Brookings Press, 2002) and has published several articles and book chapters on poverty, inequality, subjective well-being, and social security reform. Mr. Pettinato graduated summa cum laude in Development and Public Economics from the University of Florence and obtained a second Master’s Degree in International Economics from the Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Omar Al-Ubaydli
Director of Studies and Research
(Derasat)
Omar Al-Ubaydli is Director of Studies and Research, and Director of Economics and Energy Studies. He previously worked as an Assistant Professor of Economics at George Mason University, USA, as well as being a member of Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell’s Joint Advisory Board of Economists. Dr. Al-Ubaydli received his BA in Economics from the University of Cambridge (Queens’ College) and his MA and PhD in Economics from the University of Chicago. Dr. Al-Ubaydli’s research has been published in several international, peer-reviewed journals and has been featured by media outlets including the Economist magazine.