Following the success of the inaugural INDL-MEA Conference in 2024, the International Network on Digital Labor (INDL), the Université d’Angers, and the Access to Knowledge for Development Center (A2K4D) at The American University in Cairo’s Onsi Sawiris School of Business are pleased to invite you to the second edition of the INDL-MEA Conference.

This event will take place this year exclusively online, on the 25 and 26 November 2025. It is organized in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Digital Platform Labor (DiPLab) research program. The conference will serve as a key regional forum for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners engaged in studying and shaping the future of digital labor, gig work, data work, content moderation, and AI-related jobs in the Middle East and Africa.

Digital labor continues to evolve as a defining feature of global and regional economies, shaping employment opportunities, economic structures, and policy debates. The Middle East and Africa (MEA) present unique dynamics in digital labor, characterized by platformization, algorithmic management, labor informality, and digital entrepreneurship, alongside issues of regulation, fair work practices, and digital workers' agency.

With INDL-MEA's second edition, we aim to enhance interdisciplinary and policy-relevant insights into platform work, automation, labor protections, and digital rights in the MEA region.

INDL-MEA 2 will feature presentations in Arabic, English, and French, reflecting the linguistic and cultural diversity of the region.

Key Themes

We invite abstracts that engage with the following key themes related to digital labor in the Middle East and Africa:

1. The Political Economy of Digital Labor in MEA: Examining how platform work is shaped by economic structures, labor markets, and state policies in the region.

2. Algorithmic Management and Workers’ Rights: Analyzing how algorithmic control influences job security, wages, and worker autonomy in a particular MEA context.

3. Women, Gender, and Digitally-Mediated Occupations: Investigating gendered experiences of platform labor and digital entrepreneurship in the MEA region.

4. AI, Automation, and Labor Transformations: Understanding how emerging technologies impact labor dynamics, skill requirements, and employment opportunities in MEA.

5. The Platform Economy and Precarious Work: Exploring MEA related informalization, gig work, and platform-induced labor insecurities.

6. Digital Worker Organizing and Collective Action: Mapping new forms of resistance, worker solidarity, and grassroots initiatives in the region.

7. Regulatory and Policy Responses to Digital Labor: Assessing how governments and local / regional institutions are addressing platform labor challenges.

Submission Guidelines

Abstracts should be a maximum of 400 words. They can be written in English, Arabic, or French. Submission must include:

• Title

• Author(s) name and affiliation

• Abstract (including research objective, methodology, main findings, and relevance to digital labor research)

• Preferred theme(s) (from the list above)

• All abstracts should be submitted via the conference submission system ("New submission" tab).

Important Dates

• Abstract submission deadline: August 31, 2025

• Notification of acceptance: September 30, 2025

• Conference dates: November 25-26, 2025

We encourage contributions from both established and early-career researchers, as well as practitioners, labor organizers, policymakers, and digital labor activists. INDL-MEA seeks to foster cross-disciplinary dialogue, bringing together expertise from sociology, political economy, law, computer science, labor studies, development studies, and more.

We look forward to your contributions and to advancing the conversation on digital labor in the Middle East and Africa! Join us to stir the discussions!

Registration

Participation is free of charge, but registration is mandatory. All presenting authors must register. Registration details will be provided soon.

For further inquiries, please contact: contact@indl.network

INDL Conferences

INDL, the International Network on Digital Labor, is an initiative founded in 2019 by researchers from different countries. Its mission is to organize international conferences and foster collaboration to advance our understanding of the nexus between emerging transformations of labour and digital technologies. INDL conferences welcome academics at all levels - also including early career researchers - and other stakeholders such as union leaders, policymakers, artists and journalists.