Liverpool Business School makes global entrepreneurship impact with Prime Minister of Lebanon

Aiding entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa

Academics from Liverpool Business School, alongside project colleagues from the Middle East, have met with the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Mr. Najib Mikati, at the Grand Serail to present a policy brief on entrepreneurship in Lebanon.

LJMU’s Dr Moustafa Haj Youssef and Dr Hiba Hussein are co-investigators on the ‘Entrepreneurship in the MENA Region: The Uncharted Territory’ project alongside colleagues from across the globe.

The Middle East and North African (MENA) region is challenged with high unemployment. The project, externally funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation, is conducting a comprehensive study to create a novel dataset on labour market trends and business ownership, to aid entrepreneurship in the MENA region.

Dr Moustafa Haj Youssef, who specialises in International Strategic Management at LJMU, said:

“Our meeting with the Lebanon PM, Mr Najib Mikati, was a pivotal moment in our mission to create lasting impact through entrepreneurship in Lebanon. We had the privilege of presenting our policy brief, which encapsulates the findings and recommendations from our extensive research project, which is part of a broader effort to study entrepreneurship in the MENA region.

“During our 45-minute discussion, His Excellency expressed keen interest in our recommendations. He proposed establishing a formal channel to liaise with his office, ensuring our recommendations are implemented effectively to foster a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in Lebanon.”

Following the discussion, the team gave a briefing to the media which was covered by news outlets in Lebanon and featured on national TV.

About the 'Entrepreneurship in the MENA Region: The Uncharted Territory' project

The work in Lebanon is part of a wider project, that began in May 2023 and will continue until April 2025, which will see a comprehensive survey conducted, covering Egypt, Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates. The dataset generated from this survey will then contribute to academic research on job-type preferences and labor market dynamics, aiding the challenge of unemployment, in the Middle East and North Africa region. The project hopes that the dissemination of the findings to social communities will increase awareness about the economic structure and potential opportunities, and that the information will help policymakers in economies with limited research capabilities make informed decisions on resource allocation and social welfare optimisation, particularly during times of crises.