Articles written by Derasat researchers on issues and topics of trending national, regional and global significance.
Pensions seem straightforward: governments simply have to devise a system that ensures that people save enough of their income. It is basically that simple when you are dealing with an individual, but when you are organising something at the population level, it is more complicated.
In 1999, the year in which the European single currency was launched, the Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded to Robert Mundell for his theory of the conditions under which it is desirable for multiple countries to use a unified currency rather than each having their own one.
With the election date approaching, GCC states, just like the rest of the world, are closely watching for the next American president. With Clinton and Trump proposing opposing policies, these will have direct impact on GCC states, particularly in the energy and trade sectors.
A business cycle is the movement of total economic activity (GDP) around a long-run trend. When total economic activity grows faster than its long-term trend, it is called a boom, and the reverse is a recession.
The two men who on Monday received the 2016 Nobel prize in economics, Oliver Hart and Bengt Holmstrom, made key contributions to contract theory, including the “principal-agent” (PA) model.
The UAE implemented a decree on October 3 that helps workers receive their wages on time by specifying punishments for tardy employers. This is a welcome move for a country where more than 90 per cent of the labour force is foreign, although maybe not for the reasons that you would think.
Less than 1 per cent of the UAE’s GDP is allocated to research and development (R&D), compared with the world average of more than 2 per cent. Economists agree that innovation is critical to economic growth, so how can the GCC countries become more innovative?
In early 2016, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the deputy crown prince of Saudi Arabia, declared that the Saudi government was considering an initial public offering (IPO) for a minority of Aramco’s shares.
Turkey has exceeded the apprehension phase of the failed coup which occurred on the evening of the 15th of June. The elected government was able to act wisely and to regain control in a matter of hours.
Compensation in government organisations is structured quite differently to what is found in the private sector: it is usually higher, when one takes into account the education and experience of workers; pay scales are very rigid; and, there is almost a complete absence of performance-related pay.
In the wake of falling oil prices and regional instability, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are looking for new economic opportunities. Generally speaking, experts encourage economic integration, because specialization in production, and operating in larger markets, constitute two of the most important sources of prosperity.
The UAE offers economic opportunities to the rich and poor. For those with modest means, trying to move up the ladder often requires incurring substantial debt at the outset. That is why, according to one recent estimate, the average UAE resident owes creditors Dh41,000.
Government regulations vary greatly in their effectiveness. In cases of ones that fail, a common theme is basing regulations on what turn out to be inaccurate models of how people respond to incentives. How can we avoid such errors when thinking about raising the minimum wage?
