A project led by Charbel Bassil and co-directed by Arsalan Safari at Qatar University seeks to examine the personality characteristics and attitudes of entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

By understanding the drivers of economic participation as well as the personal traits of entrepreneurs in the area, the project aims to evaluate the effect of socio-cultural, regulation, economic and market conditions in various countries in the region on entrepreneurial activities. 

The research will be conducted through three separate studies. The first will examine the impact of socio-cultural, regulatory, economic, and market conditions on entrepreneurship activities in various MENA countries. The second study will investigate the impact of personal traits such as risk-taking behavior, trust, innovation and aptitude for self-employment. The third study will analyze and explore both country-level and individual-level factors pertaining to entrepreneurial activities to consider the interlinkages between the two types of factors.

There is a pressing need to deploy the region’s natural, economic, financial and human resources more efficiently in order to generate long-term sustainable and inclusive growth. Countries in the MENA region are trying to reduce their dependence on oil and gas by encouraging private investment and entrepreneurship activities. The researchers also hope promoting entrepreneurship in these countries can be a catalyst for the economic recovery in the post COVID-19 period.

The researchers plan to discuss and disseminate the outcomes of the project among key stakeholders, including policymakers and service providers, through activities including round tables in Qatar and Lebanon. A policy brief with solutions and recommendations for the entrepreneurship ecosystem in the MENA region will be written and published on the Economic Research Forum website.