Sheikh Mohammed announces economist Badi Baltagi as Great Arab Mind 2025

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has announced Professor Badi Baltagi as the winner of the Great Arab Minds Award 2025 in the Economics category, recognising a career that has reshaped modern economic analysis and strengthened the foundations of econometrics.

Professor Baltagi, a distinguished professor of economics at Syracuse University, was honoured for his groundbreaking contributions to econometrics, particularly in panel data analysis — a methodology that allows economists to draw deeper and more accurate insights by integrating data across time periods and multiple sources. His research has influenced economic policymaking in areas including wages, healthcare and economic forecasting.

Over the course of his career, Professor Baltagi has published more than 200 peer-reviewed research papers and authored several influential books. His most acclaimed work, Econometric Analysis of Panel Data, is widely regarded as a seminal reference and has helped establish both the theoretical and applied foundations of panel data econometrics.

Announcing the award on social media, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid congratulated Professor Baltagi and highlighted the importance of his achievement for the Arab world.

“Congratulations to Professor Badi Hani of Lebanon on winning the Great Arab Minds Award in the Economics category for 2025. A distinguished professor of economics at Syracuse University, he has made outstanding contributions to econometrics and the development of economic data analysis models. He has published more than 200 academic research papers, and his book on econometric analysis is widely regarded as a key reference for researchers around the world,” the Dubai Ruler wrote.

“Our Arab societies are in need of professional economists. Effective policies are built on sound knowledge and accurate data. A nation’s economy is shaped by the minds of its people and by their determination to write a new Arab chapter in the journey of reviving our Arab civilisation,” Sheikh Mohammed added.

The Great Arab Minds Award celebrates exceptional Arab talent across key fields of knowledge, spotlighting role models whose work advances global scholarship while inspiring future generations across the region.