Strengthening regional connectivity is increasingly being discussed among policy makers as a strategic pathway for enhancing resilience, accelerating economic integration and unlocking the development potential of the Arab region. The level of regional connectivity depends not only on infrastructure and cross-border flows, but also on the region's strategic assets, investment and financing ecosystems, and institutional readiness. The Arab region possesses substantial strategic assets , including natural (i.e., oil and gas reserves), physical (i.e., ports and maritime infrastructure), human (i.e., population and skill), financial (i.e., SWFs and capital markets), technological (i.e., AI and digital) and cultural (i.e., shared language, heritage sites). Yet these assets have not always translated into stronger regional connectivity. Understanding the factors that enable or constrain this transformation is therefore essential for designing effective regional policies and investment strategies. Although several international indices measure specific dimensions of connectivity such as logistics, maritime transport, innovation or digital readiness none provides an integrated assessment of regional connectivity by linking connectivity outcomes with the strategic assets, investment ecosystems and institutional conditions that underpin them. Nor do they examine how these factors collectively contribute to long-term regional prosperity. To address this gap, ESCWA proposes the Arab Regional Connectivity and Prosperity Framework (ARCPF). The Framework provides an integrated analytical approach for assessing regional connectivity and its key enablers and constraints to unlock the Arab region's prosperity potential. It examines how strategic regional assets, investment and financing ecosystems, and institutional readiness collectively shape regional connectivity, and how stronger connectivity contributes to greater resilience, deeper regional integration, and higher shared prosperity.

The consultancy is related to producing a comprehensive technical paper on the theme of regional connectivity and prosperity with two parts: (a) a conceptual framework with theoretical foundations, methodological validation of the index, its components, and indicators framework; (b) the empirical analysis for the region with reference to other global regions, based on the results of the index and the component indices, policy implications and recommendations.

Under the overall guidance of ESCWA, the consultant will undertake the following tasks:

• Develop and refine the conceptual framework for the Regional Connectivity and Prosperity Index, building on ESCWA's initial proposal and strengthening it through international literature, economic theory, empirical evidence and international best practice. The framework should clearly define the terminologies, the component indices and their linkages, and realistic data availability for a robust basis for the index.
• Design an internationally credible methodological framework including indicator selection, normalization, weighting, aggregation, sensitivity analysis and validation approaches. Provide the documentation to ensure transparency, reproducibility and future updating of the framework.
• Develop and empirically validate an analytical model that examines the relationships between regional connectivity, strategic assets (including culture), investments, institutional readiness, and prosperity.
• Assess the relative contribution of each component within and across the components, identify major connectivity gaps, and analyse trends over time to support evidence-based policy recommendations.
• Analyze and interpret the regional results by referencing them against other global regions, derive findings and policy implications for strengthening connectivity and prosperity in the Arab region context.
• Assess the availability, quality, comparability and limitations of the underlying datasets, identify data gaps and propose practical approaches for addressing missing or inconsistent data.
• Provide continuous technical guidance to the ESCWA team throughout the development process, including methodological choices, data compilation, validation, analytical interpretation and presentation of findings.
• Participate in expert consultations and focus group discussions, respond to technical comments, incorporate relevant feedback from ESCWA and external experts, and document major methodological decisions made throughout the review process.

Desired Candidate Profile

A PhD in economics or related field is required. All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

A minimum of 15 years of professional work experience in the field of research on regional development issues is required.

Publication in reputed peer reviewed journals in this field is required.

Undertaking high-level initiatives from international organizations is desirable.

Demonstration of quantitative analysis and interpretation is desirable.