Dr. Abd Elrahman Elzahi Saaid Ali, who is affiliated with the Islamic Research and Training Institute is one of the recipients of the Distinguished Scholar Award in 2020. With this award, the independent ad hoc Scientific Award Committee and the Editorial Board of the International Research Journal of Finance and Economics pays tribute to Dr. Abd Elrahman Elzahi Saaid Ali’s contribution to the field of Economics through his scientific article titled “Challenges Facing Intra-Regional Trade among North African Countries”.

Professor Adrian Marcus Steinberg, the Chair of the Independent ad hoc Scientific Award Committee, said:

“Dr. Abd Elrahman Elzahi Saaid Ali has received the prestigious Distinguished Scholar Award 2020, because he has made a significant contribution to the existing knowledge in his selected area of research. His outstanding research shows the high rate of unemployment, and the slow economic growth lead to Arabic spring and instability in most of the North African countries. Intra-regional trade might be one of the solutions to economic prosperity. Hence, it mitigates the impact of poverty and unemployment. North African countries share easy access boarders and more than common factors such as the language and religion to form effective markets and successful intra-regional trade to overcome most of their economic problems. Therefore, this article investigates challenges facing intraregional trade for the North African countries, namely: Mauritania, Sudan, Egypt, Morocco, Libya, and Algeria. In addition to that, the study attempts to identify the possible trade linkages and the elements of succession to boom their inter-regional business among them. Also, it lays out the options that policymakers may adopt to overcome these challenges.”

The Distinguished Scholar Award is a prestigious academic recognition that have been presented to a very limited number of scientists from around the world since 2004 regardless of which scientific journal they have chosen as an outlet for their research. Selection of candidates are based on their outstanding scholarly contribution to the scientific knowledge in their fields of scientific research with respect to a set of criteria, including the overall importance of the research question or problem and level of innovation in the topic, the effectiveness and novelty of the methodology and data employed, academic significance and usefulness of conclusions resulting from the research, adequacy of the critical review of relevant literature and the broad application of the findings.

Dr. Abd Elrahman Elzahi Saaid Ali’s paper shows the high rate of unemployment and the slow progress of economic growth in most North African countries have spotlighted the importance of inter-regional trade among them as an alternative solution to achieve inclusive growth in the long run. This paper investigates challenges facing intra-regional trade for the North African Arab countries, namely: Mauritania, Sudan, Egypt, Morocco, Libya, and Algeria. Besides that, the study attempt to identify the possible trade linkages and the elements of succession to boom interregional business among these countries. This study lays out the options that policymakers can adopt to overcome these challenges.

Challenges Facing Intra-Regional Trade among North African Countries