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.
Telemedicine made a slow start, but Covid-19 has given it a boost. While many physicians and patients remain reluctant, despite compelling benefits, much of the hesitancy is due to false perceptions about its efficacy. Dr. Omar Al-Ubaydli looks into the reasons why health systems should embrace it.
In July 2021, 130 countries announced coordinated reforms to prevent multinationals evading tax. Many rejoiced at the prospect of Amazon and Facebook finally paying their fair share. However, unless we see suitable reforms on the spending side of the government budget equation, it could turn into a power grab by entrenched elites.
Bahrain and India have historic bilateral ties that span energy, trade, investment, education and beyond; this collaborative webinar between Derasat and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in India, highlighted the emergent convergences for expanding India-Bahrain bilateral cooperation.
A discussion that highlights how international trade growth can be a double-edged sword when it comes to food security.
Derasat’s recent ThinkTalk in collaboration with the German-Saudi Arabian Liaison Office for Economic Affairs (GESALO), explored the key waste to energy technologies and best practices available to achieve sustainable waste management in Bahrain. On June 2nd, at 11:00 (Bah time).
A paper that analyses the impact of loan deferrals on Bahraini households using data collected from telephone surveys with over 100 Bahrainis with recommendations for future action.
A “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” is important to maintaining stability in the region and promoting prosperity. Dr. Yuichi Hosoya, Professor of International Politics at Keio University in Japan, discussed the challenges and opportunities in a Virtual Think Talk on Thursday 25th March 2021.
Peer-to-peer learning among teens might be a cost-effective way of helping those falling behind to get back on track and at the same time develop a sense of civic duty among youth.
Remote work is not what the shirking workers were initially expecting, as per Dr. Omar Al-Ubaydli's recent article, remote work is actually beneficial to the committed hard working professionals.
The UAE’s recent decision to offer top global talent a path to Emirati citizenship could be strengthened by a strategy that tailors the UAE's immigration system to capture talent by spotting and naturalizing talented teens and their families.
With thousands of young Gulf nationals studying abroad, Dr. Omar Al-Ubaydli suggests that by not integrating into local communities, opportunities for creating soft power are being wasted.
Improving the USA's fiscal situation and encouraging environmental protection are unsustainable, and Dr. Omar Al-Ubaydli argues that Biden needs to accept that protecting the environment cannot happen without painful sacrifices to living standards for all.
A paper that highlights the most prominent opportunities and challenges resulting from remote work in the Bahraini public sector during the corona virus pandemic.
Although complex reasons are cited for variations between countries in Covid-19 deaths, Dr. Omar Al-Ubaydli discusses an interesting correlation between countries devastated by past wars, and fewer numbers of Covid losses.
One of the lessons learned a year after the start of COVID-19 is that in the fight against future pandemics, we may have to choose between the suppression of the disease and the protection of people's civil liberties.
A report that presents the major issues related to the impact of Covid-19 on Bahrain’s private sector, and presents a series of recommendations targeting businesses and policymakers.
As the slew of vaccines emerging in record time indicates, there is much truth to the maxim “necessity is the mother of all invention.” An article that explores how lockdowns can boost innovation.
An article that explores some recent research regarding the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions in the Gulf, and stresses the importance of upgrading the quality of data gathered.
Despite the enormous increase in the number of Covid-19 deaths, multiple outlets have reported that this pandemic has failed to produce a comparable emotional response to tragedies on a smaller scale.
Derasat's Head of Research, Dr. Al-Ubaydli, recently took part in the 4th 'Equal Opportunities Conference' organised by Al-Ahlia University in partnership with Brunel University, UK, where he noted that Bahraini women have been generally less affected economically by the Covid-19 pandemic than men.
