The Syrian war and the subsequent emergence and spread of the Islamic State (ISIS) captured the world’s attention and transformed the Levant in ways one could not have imagined prior to 2011. As…

Elena Ianchovichina, Maros Ivanic |

During my visits to the Kyrgyz Republic I am always surprised to talk with people who fondly reminisce about the economy during Soviet times.  Taxi drivers nostalgically describe traffic coming to…

Mohamed Ihsan Ajwad |

During my visits to the Kyrgyz Republic I am always surprised to talk with people who fondly reminisce about the economy during Soviet times.  Taxi drivers nostalgically describe traffic coming to…

Mohamed Ihsan Ajwad |

This week, the Global Food Safety Partnership will hold its third annual meeting in Cape Town, just ahead of the holiday season when food safety issues are not on everyone’s minds. They should be…

Juergen Voegele |

  On the road from Yerevan to Tbilisi I recently spent three days in Yerevan on a mission to learn a bit more about Armenia’s overall development challenges for a World Bank study on “Connectivity…

David M. Gould |

  On the road from Yerevan to Tbilisi I recently spent three days in Yerevan on a mission to learn a bit more about Armenia’s overall development challenges for a World Bank study on “Connectivity…

David M. Gould |

The Debate .asset-video strong{display:none} Governments in the Arab world have long subsidized the price of energy. This gives citizens throughout the region access to cheap petrol and diesel,…

Will Stebbins |

If you think the summers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are hot—think again. Summers are likely to become much warmer. Global temperatures are rising; the question now is by how…

Maria Sarraf |

All around the world, governments are recognizing the value and potential of Open Data. This is clear from the G8’s adoption of an Open Data Charter in June 2013 (with the G20 likely to follow…

Roza Vasileva |

  Photo: Dana Smillie / World Bank To maintain current growth rates and meet demands for infrastructure, developing countries will require an additional investment of at least an estimated US$1…

Nazaneen Ismail Ali, Rachel Lipson |