Noha Sami Omar is an associate professor of economics in the Mohamed Shafik Gabr Department of Economics in the Onsi Sawiris School of Business at The American University in Cairo. Her expertise spans applied microeconomics, labour economics, poverty and inequality measurement, social protection, econometrics and economic development in Egypt and the wider Middle East and North Africa region.

Omar has extensive experience bridging academic research and policy practice. She has worked as a consultant and advisor for organizations including the International Labour Organization, UNICEF, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, the Economic Policy Research Institute and the Ministry of Social Solidarity in Egypt. Her recent work includes estimating a decent living wage for jasmine pickers in Gharbia, assessing social protection reforms, analyzing multidimensional poverty and examining the integration of refugees into social assistance programs.

Her research has appeared in outlets including Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, International Journal of Development Issues and Review of Economics and Political Science. Her current research examines human capital externalities in the labour market in Egypt, the links between inequality and monetary policy transmission and the role of information and communication technologies in poverty reduction. Omar holds a PhD in economics from Cairo University and a Master of Science in economics with distinction from Queen Mary, University of London. She received the State Encouragement Award in Egypt, 2023 for her work on multidimensional deprivation.