Gus Freeman

GRM 2012 Workshop: Housing Markets and Policy Design in the Gulf Region

Director of Economic Research - Ernst & Young

Gus Freeman is an economist with housing sector expertise and a business leader. In September 2011, he took on a newly-created role within Ernst & Young, MENA as Director of Economic Research. Over the last 10 years, Gus pioneered the establishment of a social and economic research organization in the Sultanate of Oman. Arabian Research Bureau provides culturally relevant analysis and insight to businesses and government organizations in the Arab world. Ahead of his time but seeing the potential demand, Mr. Freeman partnered in 2001 with one of Oman’s leading thinkers to provide research to meet the nascent demand for understanding of the housing and housing finance sector in the Gulf. His career has seen him bridging the gap between social and economic information producers and users. He understands the issues involved both in the production of indicators and those facing users of information. This has enabled him to bring insightful analysis to policy debates. Mr. Freeman worked in the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research as Halifax Research Fellow in the late 1990s writing on affordable housing and comparative housing systems, tax and subsidy environments.