Emilie Rutledge

• Senior Lecturer in Economics, The Open University

I joined The Open University Department of Economics in March 2021. I previously spent 12 years in the United Arab Emirates as an Associate Professor of Economics. I have worked as an economic researcher in banking and finance and at HM Treasury and held research and consulting positions throughout the Middle East, including Bahrain, Syria, the Palestinian Territories and the UAE. I am an applied economist focusing on the economic and social challenges facing the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) as they transition towards becoming more diversified economies. I am co-author of seminal journal articles on the GCC's labour markets such as 'Unemployment in the Gulf: Time to Update the“Social Contract”' (Forstenlechner & Rutledge, 2010), one of the Middle East Policy Journal's most cited articles. I have authored a book, book chapters, journal articles, consultancy and newspaper articles (see:

• 2023–present Senior Lecturer in Economics, The Open University
• 2025–present Head of Department, Economics, The Open University
• 2021–2023 Lecturer in Economics, The Open University

• 2007 Durham University, PhD Economics
• 2002 Birkbeck College, University of London, MSc Economics
• 1998 SOAS, University of London, BA Hons Arabic and Economics

MENAFN09032026000199003603ID1110838177