Jad Chaaban

Jad Chaaban is an economist and political activist. He is an Associate Professor of Economics at the American University of Beirut (AUB) and a visiting scholar at Paris-Dauphine University and INSEAD.

He previously held research and visiting positions at the Toulouse School of Economics, the London School of Economics and the World Bank. He is a founding member of the Lebanese Economics Association and a former member of the Advisory Board of UNDP’s global Human Development Report.

How the US-led war in the region created an Arab poverty crisis

The US-Israel war on Iran could increase poverty for millions across the MENA, as people grapple with double-digit price hikes, writes Jad Chaaban.

06 May, 2026

Lebanon and the IMF: Entrenching the ruling elite

Analysis: With no clear accountability or fundamental changes in political and financial governance, the new IMF-backed agreement will simply provide a lifeline to Lebanon's corrupt political class.

25 April, 2022