This study investigates the influences of financial performance and economic determinants (inflation rate and economic growth) on financial distress (FD) in the MENA region in the context of the contagion effect theory and Minsky's financial instability theory. This paper examines the...

This paper empirically examines the multiple impacts of alternative, major fiscal instruments on decarbonization in countries in the Middle East and North Africa. It also examines the effects of decarbonization pathways on decarbonization, using a database covering 41 countries, including...

The Middle East and North Africa faces significant climate challenges, such as increasing temperatures, heightened flood risks, frequent droughts, and growing air pollution issues. These challenges are compounded by the large proportion of the population living below the poverty line in some...

Selon les estimations, la région du Moyen-Orient et de l'Afrique du Nord (MENA) a connu une croissance modeste de 1,9 % en 2024 et devrait croître modérément à 2,6 % en 2025. Cela s'inscrit dans un contexte d'incertitude mondiale accrue, en particulier en matière de politique commerciale....

The link between financial inclusion and financial stability is a central concern in public economic policymaking, particularly in emerging countries where access to financial services remains limited. While financial inclusion is widely regarded as a key driver of economic development, its...

This edition of the Macro Poverty Outlooks periodical contains country-by-country forecasts and overviews for GDP, fiscal, debt and poverty indicators for the developing countries of Middle East and North Africa. Macroeconomic indicators such as population, gross domestic product and gross...

Purpose - This paper aims to discuss the main characteristics of the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region's capital inflows volatility. It also examines the effect of institutional quality and information availability on capital inflows volatility in selected MENA countries (Bahrain, Egypt,...

Over the past decade, the debate on the microeconomic effects of financial inclusion has intensified, with a growing body of research exploring how access to financial services impacts banks' behaviors. Studying the effect of financial inclusion on bank risk is crucial because it helps...

This policy brief uses data from those efforts to document the role social norms play to support (or hinder) female labor force participation in a sample of MENA countries. Data was collected in Egypt, the Republic of Iraq, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia between...

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has faced challenges like political instability and economic fluctuations, which have impacted non-performing loans (NPL) levels. At the same time, over the years, reforms and regulations have encouraged stronger board structures to enhance...

Several studies on economic transition propose that structural change in developing countries, that involves reallocating from less productive to more productive sectors, might enhance participation in global value chains (GVCs). However, there is a lack of empirical work on this claim. This...

This paper uses data from the 24 governorates in Tunisia over the period 2012-2020 to study the relationship between job insertion of higher education graduates into the formal labor market and a number of independent variables, namely active labor supply, labor demand, an active labor market...

This paper examines two key questions about decarbonization and its economic implications. First, it analyzes how environmental provisions in trade agreements affect bilateral trade flows, with a specific focus on the Middle East and North Africa region. By constructing a detailed dataset of...

The Middle East and North Africa is the most water scarce region in the world. Although studies have explored the effect of extreme weather events on agriculture, much less is known about the effect on businesses. Using geocoded firm-level data from the World Bank's Enterprise Surveys across the...

Background Given the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative to examine the economic response policies implemented by governments. This study aims to review evidence from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, including Iran, on COVID-19 economic response policies...

This study investigates the relationship between higher education and mortality rates from chronic and fatal diseases in MENA countries from 2000 to 2020. Utilizing a robust panel econometric framework with Generalized Least Square, Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS), and Dynamic...

Turkey's popularity in the MENA region has increased since the AKP’s rise to power in 2002. People-to-people contacts, economic progress, and a perceived European lifestyle have contributed to Turkey’s popularity in the MENA region. Turkey’s seemingly competitive political system and...

The empirical literature on the association of cash flow volatility and debt maturity structure is limited and inconclusive. This article investigates the impact of cash flow volatility on debt maturity structure, and the interaction effect of cash flow volatility and fixed assets on debt...

For decades, Maghrebi decision-makers have instrumentalised friend and foe narratives with regard to Israel and Iran, two of the most controversial regional actors in the MENA region. Only Morocco has official relations with Israel, only Algeria and Tunisia with Iran. A systematic analysis of...

The paper presents a cross-country analysis of seven countries in the MENA region and explores the effects of COVID-19 on educational policymaking. The paper uses a quasi-thematic literature review to highlight the emerging themes related to the quality of education during the pandemic. The...

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop a new multidimensional financial inclusion index to measure the financial inclusion level for each of the 13 selected countries of the Middle East and North Africa region for the period 2004-2020. In addition, the comparative analysis approach...

This paper assesses the state and resilience of corporate and banking sectors in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in a "higher-for-longer" interest rate environment using granular micro data to conduct the first cross-country corporate and banking sector stress tests for the MENA region....

The paper aims to empirically assess the threshold effect in the large shareholders (LS) and bank performance relationship. We used a sample of MENA banks during the period 2004-2017. To get benefit from a comparative regional analysis, the whole sample was divided into two sub-samples, banks in...