Saudi Arabia's experience with the COVID-19 pandemic shows that it takes time to build the right enabling environment. Discover Saudi Arabia's digital government services, Seha Virtual…

Samia Melhem, Anila Graupp, Fatimah Alotaibi |

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 |

Against a tight deadline at the end of 2021, IFC’s regional PPP transaction advisory team got stakeholders to sign off on a restructured PPP for the Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Int’l Airport,…

Muneer Ferozie |

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 |

Our new World Bank report, “Advancing Knowledge of the Water-Energy Nexus in the GCC Countries,” discusses the challenges GCC countries face in ensuring long-term sustainability of the use of its…

Issam Abousleiman, Anders Jagerskog |

Climate finance is an essential component to enabling climate action, and large-scale investments are needed. The WBG, the biggest multilateral funder of climate investments in developing…

Nadir Mohammed, Jens Kromann Kristensen, Mona El-Chami, Vivi Neimenmaa, Marissa Dondoe |