Pursuing a PhD at West Paris University - Nanterre la Défense, Michel Samaha is an Economist and Urban Development Specialist. He has been working with the World Bank since 2011 as a socio-economic development specialist providing technical assistance for local authorities and elaborating strategies to promote local development. In 2014, he worked as a consultant and economic lead researcher at the Arab Council for Social Sciences. Starting 2015, he was appointed as a project manager at the UNDP-Beirut, supporting the Ministry of Social Affairs in elaborating a National Social Development Strategy.