Omar Al-Ubaydli

Economic theory tells us sometimes it’s healthy to use connections at work

Gathering evidence about the pros and cons of such a payment is complex and time consuming. Gulf societies are uniquely placed to inform policymakers

Before oil, Gulf states limited themselves to internal security and external defence. Since then, their array of high-quality public services demand more revenue

For better or worse, a wave of western apathy is imminent and it signals to the region to resolve its own problems

Studies, including the latest from the US, suggest that these institutions boost children’s intellectual capabilities

Agile Gulf governments are better placed than many to avoid the errors states often make when they get involved in the private sector

Introduced a year ago, the 9% levy prevents other leading business hubs from undercutting the Emirates and allows it to further embrace multilateralism

Countries such as the UAE are trying to reform religion’s traditional role to reap its benefits without incurring its costs

GCC economists are underrepresented in academic research, but there are ways to fix that

The challenge in front of the US government is to distinguish security threats from lobbying efforts

The European model of the past half a century is worth emulating, but not blindly copying

Ramadan has a positive affect on people’s subjective well-being and is a reminder that less can be more

Institutions such as IBM Research Labs and Bell Labs were hotbeds of ideas but a fixation on quick returns undermined decades of American innovation

The goals of our region's labour policy are very different to those in Europe

Conservation is costly, which is why it needs to be incentivised and done on solid foundations