Dr. Moosa Elayah

Associate Professor of Governance, Public Affairs, and Participatory Policy 
Doha Institute for Graduate Studies – State of Qatar

Dr. Moosa Elayah is one of the leading scholars in governance, public policy, the third sector, and institutional development in the Arab region. He earned his Ph.D. in Public Administration and Governance from Leiden University in the Netherlands, where he also completed a master’s degree in Crisis and Security Management with honors. He subsequently served as a researcher and assistant professor at both Leiden University and Radboud University, contributing to international research projects on state-building, crisis management, and sustainable development.

Since joining the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies in 2019, Dr. Elayah has combined academic research with extensive policy and advisory work. He brings more than twenty years of experience in designing and implementing research projects and development strategies across the Gulf region, Yemen, Europe, and Asia. His applied policy work includes major governmental and developmental studies covering policy analysis, institutional capacity building, social impact assessment, and digital governance. He also contributed to the formulation of Qatar’s National Humanitarian and Charitable Sector Strategy and to the review and development of national strategies in several Gulf states. Dr. Elayah currently leads the national research project “Building the Capacity of the Third Sector for Policy Participation in the Gulf States (2024–2027)”, funded by the Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council (QRDI) and implemented in partnership with the Regulatory Authority for Charitable Activities (RACA) and several Qatari and Gulf institutions.

He has published more than fifty peer-reviewed works, including books, book chapters, and research studies in prestigious international journals and publishing houses. Dr. Elayah is also known for his theoretical contribution to the concept of the “Empty State,” which provides a critical lens for understanding institutional erosion and governance vacuums in conflict-affected contexts. He serves as the Managing Editor of Hikama Journal, jointly published by the Doha Institute and the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, and leads several national and regional research initiatives in governance, public policy, and institutional development.