​Tunisian sugar beet and Sudanese sesame seeds are the main ingredients of the halwa made by Tunisia’s Grand Fabrique de Confiserie Orientale (GFCO) company. Great globs of sesame seeds, mixed…

Antonio Nucifora, Bob Rijkers |

Seven countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region --Egypt, Tunisia, Iran, Lebanon, Jordan, Yemen and Libya (MENA 7)--are facing similar economic problems:  i) volatile growth that…

Lili Mottaghi |

What is Mrs. Abla’s secret? How has one principal managed to mobilize teachers and parents into becoming one harmonious unit with a common goal— to give students the best education they could. Is…

Jumana Alaref |

Unemployment rates in Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Tunisia and Yemen (the MENA 7) have remained stubbornly high, particularly among youth (15–24 years) with an average rate of 22 percent…

Lili Mottaghi |

The answer is a conditional ‘Yes’, depending on whether they can accelerate the pace of the structural reforms needed to boost growth in Egypt, Tunisia, Iran, Lebanon, Jordan, Yemen and Libya. A…

Lili Mottaghi |

Good governance is critical for all countries around the world today. When it doesn’t exist, many governments fail to deliver public services effectively; health and education services are often…

Jim Yong Kim |

Hurricane Sandy / NOAA In addition to their often devastating human toll, natural disasters can have an extremely adverse economic impact on countries. Disasters can be particularly calamitous for…

Michael Bennett |

More than three years after the wave of revolutions that swept some countries of the Arab region, it is now possible to step back and make an initial assessment of the subsequent transformation…

Amine Ghali |

Follow the authors on Twitter: @shomik_raj and @canaless   Recently, as part of a broader cost cutting initiative, World Bank management decided to do away with a long standing policy of…

Shomik Mehndiratta, Diego Canales |

Video Decentralization in Tunisia means empowering local government. A new World Bank project aims to build the capacity of local government and make it accountable. Jaafar Friaa, Team Leader for…

Jaafar Sadok Friaa |