Result of Service

To develop a harmonized GCC regional inter-linked Macro and Micro SAM and a database for 2024–2035 to support the calibration of a regional trade simulator.

Work Location

Remote

Expected duration

3 months

Duties and Responsibilities

Background The Ministry of Economy and Planning MEP of Saudi Arabia have been playing a more proactive role in shaping the country's trade policy and navigating the complexities of an increasingly interconnected global economy. As Saudi Arabia deepens its integration into global trade networks and pursues economic diversification under Vision 2030, the ability to evaluate trade policies and external economic shocks in a timely, data-driven, and systematic manner has become critical. In this context, ESCWA partnered with the Ministry to strengthen its technical capacity for trade policy analysis. One of the key pillars of this effort is the development of advanced trade modeling and simulation toolkits that can inform strategic decision-making at both national and regional levels. A cornerstone of this initiative is the development of a regional trade simulator for the GCC’s countries. This simulator, to be aligned as much as possible to the Saudi’s sectoral structure of the input-output and supply-use tables, will serve as a third policy platform for analyzing integration scenarios among GCC countries themselves but also with the rest of the world. ESCWA is thus seeking the support of an economist to develop a harmonized GCC regional inter-linked Macro and Micro Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) and a comprehensive database for building the baseline scenario for the period 2024–2035. The objective of this assignment is to develop a harmonized GCC regional inter-linked Macro and Micro Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) and a comprehensive database to support the calibration of a regional trade simulator. Duties and Responsibilities The consultant will be asked to perform the following tasks: Using the updated national SAM’s for the six GCC’s countries developed by ESCWA in the context of the project on developing trade simulators for Saudi Arabia, the consultant will suggest a harmonized structure of the regional inter-linked SAMs. The regional interlinked SAM for GCC should be aligned as maximum as possible to the specific features of the national SAM of Saudi Arabia. Build the regional inter-linked Macro and Micro regional SAM using the national SAMs and additional data to be collected by the consultant. The Micro SAM should reflect the maximum of trade instruments being applied by Saudi Arabia. To do so, the consultant may use the appropriate estimation and balancing techniques such as RAS and Maximum Entropy techniques. Build the complete database for calibrating the regional trade simulator for the period 2024-2035.

Qualifications/special skills

A Master's degree in applied economics with a clear focus on developing SAMs and regional CGE models is required. A PhD is desirable. All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed Five years expertise in using and developing global and regional CGE models is required. Strong knowledge of national accounts and developing social accounting matrices is required. Expertise in applying updating and balancing techniques is required. Expertise in GCC countries is desirable

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations secretariat and Arabic is a working language of ESCWA. For this position, Fluency in English and Arabic is required. Knowledge of French is desirable. Note: “Fluency” equals a rating of ‘fluent’ in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of ‘confident’ in two of the four areas.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

Build the regional inter-linked GCC’s Social Accounting Matrice and the reference scenario for the regional trade simulator