Biography
Dr. Ghulam Mohey-ud-din is a Lead Urban Economist whose work sits where spatial data meets planning decisions. For more than eighteen years he has advised governments, development partners and planning authorities in Pakistan and the Gulf on regional strategy, special economic zones, industrial cities and the evidence behind public investment.
Since late 2023 he has led economic planning for industrial city development in Saudi Arabia: economic plans, SEZ pre-feasibility work, population and demand modelling, and long-range growth scenarios that feed master plan updates.
Before moving to the Gulf he founded and led the Economic Affairs department at the Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies in Lahore (2022–2023), setting its research agenda on economic security, fiscal stability and energy. From 2016 to 2022 he was Senior Urban Economist and Senior Programme Manager at The Urban Unit, Government of Punjab, where he led the economic analysis for the World Bank-supported Punjab Spatial Strategy, a US$60 million programme and the largest sub-national spatial planning exercise in Pakistan, using GIS and LISA cluster analysis. He also worked on UNDP, GIZ and DFID-funded assignments, leading the UNDP local economic development platform in Faisalabad and the GIZ social protection diagnostic for Punjab, and serving as transport economist on DFID’s rural roads planning model.
Earlier he was Senior Assistant Professor and Acting Head of Department at Bahria University, Lahore, where he supervised twelve MPhil theses, and Economist and Head of the Research Cell at the Punjab Small Industries Corporation, where he directed the Census of Small and Cottage Industries.
Research
His research asks how industrial cities and corridors can drive inclusive structural change, how spatial inequality shapes development in South Asia, and how econometric evidence can be made usable for government. His work has appeared in The Pakistan Development Review, Sustainability and Public Health, among others, and he is the author of The Macroeconomic Analysis of Foreign Capital Inflows in Pakistan. He edits the policy brief series Policy Insights by Dr. Ghulam Mohey-ud-din and writes regularly for Dawn, Business Recorder and other outlets.
He holds a PhD in Economics from Government College University Lahore, where his doctoral research examined GDP fluctuations, private investment and growth in South Asia, an MPhil from the same university, and an MA in Economics from the Islamia University of Bahawalpur, where he was the university’s gold medallist. He is PMI-PBA® certified.
Frequently asked questions
What does Dr. Ghulam Mohey-ud-din specialise in?
Spatial economics, urban and regional development, special economic zone and industrial city strategy, and applied econometrics, with a focus on Pakistan and the GCC.
Which organisations has he worked with?
Government planning authorities in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, and development partners including the World Bank, UNDP, GIZ and DFID (UK Aid).
Is he available for consulting assignments?
Yes, for feasibility studies, spatial diagnostics, SEZ strategy, M&E frameworks, policy briefs, applied econometrics, training and speaking. Send an inquiry through the contact page with the scope, timeline and procurement route.
What is Policy Insights?
Policy Insights by Dr. Ghulam Mohey-ud-din is a series of short, citable policy briefs launched in January 2026. Each issue has a DOI and a PDF and diagnoses one development policy problem with evidence and a sequenced reform agenda.
