As we commemorate the International Day of Education this month, the 2023 theme “to invest in people, prioritize education” – it is all the more crucial for the countries of the Middle East and…

Ferid Belhaj |

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is the first to be held in the Arab world and for the first time in World Cup history, an African team (Morocco) advanced to the semifinals. Regardless of the outcomes…

Abdoulaye Sy, Gael Raballand, Nadir Mohammed |

Confronted with a set of challenges that is threatening hard-earned development gains, the African continent remains resilient and endowed with rich creativity and innovation that has the…

Victoria Kwakwa |

Learn more about the potential of the sovereign green, social and sustainability bond market to mobilize private capital.

Farah Imrana Hussain, Helena Dill, Banu Turhan Kayaalp |

All eyes are on Egypt during COP27 as the world meets in Sharm El Sheikh. A year ago, at COP26, the World Bank Group launched the Country Climate and Development Reports (CCDRs), a new core…

Paul Noumba Um |

The World Bank launched the Tanzania Gender Assessment (Kiswahili), Tanzania Gender-Based Violence Assessment (Kiswahili), and a Stakeholder Consultation Report (Kiswahili) earlier this year,…

Gemma Todd, M. Yaa Oppong, Inaam Ul Haq, Helene Carlsson Rex |

The World Bank updated its global poverty lines last month and the number of poor is now significantly different in certain countries and regions. For the EAP region, this changes our view of the…

Rinku Murgai, Hassan Zaman |

Like many countries around the world Lesotho has been negatively affected by the war in Ukraine. The situation has been worsened by hindered food imports due to the pandemic as well as weak…

Mantsebeng Suzan Maepe, Elita Banda |

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has a fixation with subsidizing consumer goods, particularly water, food, and energy. Subsidies are often introduced to protect the poor and…

Federica Alfani, Maria Eugenia Genoni, Johannes Hoogeveen |

This blog is a biweekly feature highlighting recent working papers from around the World Bank Group. It introduces five papers published in August 2022 on various topics, including COVID-19…

Marcelo Buitron, Policy Research Working Paper team |