Virtual roundtable discussion on "Assessing the Future of Work for Forward-Looking Universal Social Protection: A Comparative Study of Lebanon and Egypt"

On July 31, 2026, our Institute and SWANA Future of Work Hub hosted a virtual roundtable discussion on "Assessing the Future of Work for Forward-Looking Universal Social Protection: A Comparative Study of Lebanon and Egypt" as part of the International Studies Association (ISA) 4th Annual Virtual Conference 2026, titled "Order, Disorder, and Reordering."

The roundtable featured IFI Assistant Director Yara Mourad, Arab Reform Initiative (ARI)'s Sarah Anne Rennick and Farah Al Shami, ICARDA's Dina Najjar, and Just Jobs Network's Sabina Dewan, moderated by IFI's SWANA Future of Work Hub Coordinator Samir Nassar. It focused on a study examining shifts in Lebanon and Egypt's labor markets and work relations caused by rapid digital transformations, including AI and the energy transition. The discussion also covered how these rapid digital changes, along with AI and the green transition, are reshaping labor markets, work relations, and social protection systems in Lebanon, Egypt, and the broader SWANA region.