between 1961 and 1970 salem became chief of the fao trade prices branch in rome. between 1970 and 1972 he was director and un project manager at the institute of statistics and applied economics, makerere university, kampala, uganda. in 1972 he returned to rome to become head of the fao methodology group – statistical development service until 1974, and chief of the service 1975-1981. work consisted mainly in assisting developing countries in the improvement of their food and agricultural statistics through national, regional and international statistical projects.