Besart Avdiu is an Economist in the Macroeconomics, Trade, and Investment Global Practice at the World Bank, working primarily on Western Africa, especially The Gambia. He joined the World Bank in 2019. Since then he has contributed to lending and analytical work on macro-fiscal issues and firm dynamics. Prior to joining the Bank, he held positions at the World Trade Organization and Goethe University. He holds a PhD in Economics and MSc in Quantitative Economics from Goethe University, Germany. His work has been published in peer reviewed journals.