Middle East & North Africa

Cairo, Dubai, Istanbul, Tel Aviv

HBS continues its efforts to build a deep understanding of and expertise in global business practice and innovation around the world, including throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The School opened the MENA Research Center in Istanbul in 2013, followed by offices in Dubai and Cairo. Separately an office was opened in Tel Aviv in 2016 reporting to the Europe Research Center. All play an important role in helping HBS develop and strengthen relationships with business and academic leaders in the Middle East, Turkey, North Africa, and Central Asia. Support for faculty research, student programming, Executive Education, and Harvard Business Publishing are enabled by these HBS locations.

Locations

Dubai Office
Dubai Design District
Building 3, 3rd Floor, Unit 341
Dubai, UAE

Cairo Office
Cairo, Egypt

Middle East and North Africa Research Center Istanbul, Turkey

Tel Aviv Office
Tel Aviv, Israel

News & Highlights

MAY 2023
EVENT

Alumni Event in Egypt

On May 31st, the Center partnered with the HBS Club of Egypt to host an intimate gathering in Cairo featuring Professors Michael Chu, a Senior Lecturer in the General Management Unit, and Alvaro Rodriguez-Arregui, a Senior Lecturer in the Entrepreneurial Management Unit. The Professors focused their discussion on the rationale behind using business as a tool to respond to some of society’s most pressing problems, drawing examples from the cases they have taught in MBA courses. The event was attended by 20 alumni and friends of HBS.

MAY 2023
EVENT

Alumni Event in Turkey

On May 11th, the MENA Research Center hosted an alumni event in Istanbul in collaboration with HBR Türkiye. Professor Prithwiraj (Raj) Choudhury, the Lumry Family Associate Professor at HBS, delivered a keynote presentation on the ‘future of work,’ and led an interactive discussion among alumni and friends of HBS. The conversations provided insights about the future of work, the benefits that come with it, and the management practices needed to best realize this new model of work. Over 50 people attended.

MARCH 2023
MBA ADMISSIONS

MBA Admissions Events in the Middle East & North Africa

On March 14th, MBA Admissions held a virtual event titled “The HBS MBA Experience: Student Perspectives from the Middle East and North Africa” catered to prospective applicants interested in pursuing an MBA at HBS. Yasemin Caglar, Assistant Director for Educational Programs at the Middle East and North Africa Research Center, started by providing an overview of the Center, and then Vai Schierholtz, Director of Marketing and MBA Admissions Board Member, led a panel discussion among five current MBA students about their experiences at HBS. MBA Admissions and the MENA Research Center continued their efforts in the MENA region and co-hosted a series of information sessions about the MBA Program. The sessions were held between April and May in five cities: Istanbul, Beirut, Riyadh, Dubai, and Cairo. The events were designed for prospective applicants to learn more about the MBA Program and life at HBS as well as to get the opportunity to meet with alumni from their cities. Over 300 prospective applicants attended those events.

MARCH 2023
ALUMNI

Alumni Amal Enan’s (MBA 2014) Investment Impact in Egypt

Amal Enan (MBA 2014) has been making a difference in the Egyptian startup scene with her thoughtful and strategic investments. As Executive Director of the Egyptian-American Enterprise Fund, Enan works to promote financial inclusion, job creation, and private sector development in Egypt, with a strong focus on supporting female entrepreneurs. She says, “we need to build sustainable businesses and create a competitive track record for the country, if we’re going to improve opportunities for the next generation.” Learn more about the work she is doing in the MENA region through her alumni story here.

New Research on the Region

August 2023
Article
ILR Review

Surveying the Landscape of Labor Market Threat Perceptions from Migration: Evidence from Attitudes toward Sub-Saharan African Migrants in Morocco

By: Matt Buehler, Kristin E. Fabbe and Eleni Kyrkopoulou

Morocco, once primarily known as a country of emigration and transit to Europe, has become a destination country for migrants, the majority of whom are from sub-Saharan Africa. Using an original nationally representative survey of 2,700 respondents, together with data from two census waves and one migrant regularization wave, the authors examine Moroccan citizens’ labor market threat perceptions from this new migrant group. Consistent with findings from studies conducted in developed countries, less educated, poorer respondents express higher labor market threat perceptions. The authors also find evidence, however, that city dwellers and employed female Moroccans are the most likely to report threat perceptions, even after controlling for greater “exposure” to migrants. The article contributes to literatures on migration exposure and how rural–urban dynamics shape labor market threat perceptions in a developing country.

June 2023
Case

Launching Egypt’s First Digital Banking Platform: QNB Bebasata

By: Mark Egan, Billy Chan and Ahmed Dahawy

The leadership team at QNB Alahli, Egypt's second biggest private bank, looked back on their efforts to create a brand-new, fully digital banking platform since 2019. A digital-only banking service was unprecedented in Egypt, a country where over 90% of financial transactions still involved cash. If successful, QNB Alahli would enjoy the first-mover advantage and help improve the level of financial inclusion in the Egyptian society. The bank had developed comprehensive financial projections for the new platform, and its confidence was bolstered by the successful launch of a similar platform by its sister bank in Turkey. Before the proposal could be approved by the central bank, QNB Alahli needed to carefully consider various strategies for this venture, as the decisions made could significantly impact the bank's profitability, marketing efforts, and internal competition.