The World Bank Group’s Enterprise Surveys (ES) evaluate the quality of the business environment in an economy by asking a series of questions that capture both the experiences and perceptions of…

David Francis, Asif Islam |

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 |

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 |

Imagine you are a mother of three in Djibouti, a tiny country on the Horn of the Africa with scarce farmable land or drinking water that is a frequent victim of devastating floods and droughts. In…

Stefanie Brodmann |

The Middle East and North Africa region has a large diaspora. According to the latest United Nations estimates, 11 million citizens from the MENA countries lived abroad in 2013. Many of the…

Mariem Mezghenni Malouche |

A former hotel owner in one of the region’s major cities, who wants to remain anonymous, tells a story that should have had a happy ending. Her 40-room hotel was doing well. It had built a…

Marc Schiffbauer |

What makes smart politicians?  Jeffrey Frankel has an idea.   His recent blog examines the allure, and trap, of universal subsidies.   For one thing, they know that pulling the plug on bad…

Heba Elgazzar |

Ancient cities, like Mohenjodaro in modern-day Pakistan, emerged relatively recently in human history (photo courtesy of Saqib Qayyum used through a Creative Commons license.)​ The growth of large…

Chandan Deuskar |

In Libya right now, one out of every two people is 24 years old or younger (52 percent).  One out of every two fighters was previously unemployed or a student (52 percent).  Why does this matter…

Heba Elgazzar |