Young people represent a significant asset in economic terms alone; they can contribute to productivity, increased consumption, and income taxes. But youth are also an important asset for social change and innovation. Arab youth see themselves as change agents, with young women as likely to be...

Over the past four decades, Arab aid, which has been relatively under-studied, has played an important role in global development finance. Arab donors- predominantly the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-have been among the most generous in the world, with...

In Middle East and North Africa (MENA), state banks played a less important role in the recovery as compared to several countries in Latin America and South Asia, as well as China, where state banks played a counter-cyclical role. When private banks started circumscribing credit, state banks...

Financial inclusion is about introducing justice and equity in financial systems and focuses on: (i) extending financial services to previously excluded populations and micro-entrepreneurs; (ii) empowering the poor and low income populations that have largely been excluded from access to...

Egypt is facing an unprecedented 'youth bulge' with approximately 60 percent of the population below the age of 30 and more unemployed youth being added every year to the labor force. However, the current youth bulge has not been fully seized as an opportunity for the country's development....

The Middle East and North Africa region is recovering from the financial crisis along with the global economy. Growth in 2010 is expected to be 4.4 percent region-wide, driven by domestic absorption as well as a positive contribution from external demand. The recovery from the crisis differs by...

Mobility is a major factor in access to economic resources, education, health, and other key elements influencing women's empowerment. In Middle East and North African countries, like in many other developing economies, women's mobility is constrained not only by limited transport supply, but...

The Luxor Education Roundtable (March 19-20, 2010) on the quality of education: the gateway to employability was jointly organized between Minister of Investment Mahmoud Mohieldin of Egypt and the World Bank. The round table is a direct response to a request from the Government of Egypt (GoE) to...

The March 24, 2010 ministerial consultation to discuss regional cooperation and integration initiatives for the Arab world was a key milestone in the Arab world initiative, one of the six strategic directions outlined by President Zoellick in October 2007. This important first round of regional...

In October 2009, the World Bank, together with the European Investment Bank, the Governments of Egypt, France, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia, and the city of Marseille, launched the Marseille Center for Mediterranean Integration (MCMI). The Center will facilitate access to best knowledge...