The recent United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, has raised the prominence of climate action in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)…

Asif Islam, Dalal Moosa, Federica Saliola |

Digital investments in government operations not only make them more efficient, but they also increase preparedness for emergencies, whether related to public health, climate, fragility, or trade…

Nadir Mohammed, Jens Kromann Kristensen, Emily Kallaur, Stephen Davenport |

Women of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have outperformed many other regions in terms of life expectancy, infant mortality, and tertiary education. Their performance in education has, in…

Ferid Belhaj, Paul Noumba Um, Muneeza Mehmood Alam |

Yemen faces multiple challenges, including conflict, displacement, and economic instability. These challenges have disproportionately affected women, limiting their access to economic…

Federica Ranghieri, Fayyaz Ahmad Faiz-Rasul |

For decades, many countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have benefited from abundant natural resources, including oil and gas. But the region is not rich in all resources. In…

Harris Selod, Anna Corsi |

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 |

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 |

There is growing recognition that natural resource exploitation and environmental pressures can fuel violent conflict. Compounding this threat, situations of conflict and environmental stress also…

Agathe Christien, Phoebe Spencer |

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 |

Satellite data show a significant drop in nighttime light emission in 2015, which could indicate a decrease in economic productivity in Yemen at the start of the conflict. For instance, between…

Naif Abu-Lohom, ​​​​​​​Ali Almelhem, Selamawit T. Ghebremicael, Eli Kravitz, Gianluca Mele, Garrett Tate |