Middle East and North Africa
The World Bank works with countries in the Middle East and North Africa to eliminate poverty and promote shared prosperity through strengthening human capital, supporting jobs and economic transformation, advancing gender equity, addressing fragility, and enabling green growth.
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Building a Water-Secure Future in MENA
In response to a worsening water crisis, countries in MENA are boosting climate resilience and putting in place resilient infrastructure to benefit communities for years to come.
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Addressing Global Water Security
The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative and World Bank will partner to collaborate on efforts to accelerate innovation and investment to strengthen water security in communities around the world.
- Press Release
A Global Knowledge Hub in Riyadh
The new hub aims to drive the global exchange of ideas, experiences, and best practices to tackle the world’s most pressing development
The Region At-A-Glance
The Middle East and North Africa region is in turmoil. Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen are in civil war, causing untold damage to human lives and physical infrastructure. Fifteen million people have fled their homes, many to fragile or economically strapped countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, Djibouti and Tunisia, giving rise to the biggest refugee crisis since World War II.
Our Strategy
MENA: Looking Forward
Working closely with clients and development partners, the World Bank Group is helping MENA countries navigate the uncharted road ahead, transforming decades of frustrations into productive, sustainable opportunities—for women and men, old and young alike.
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In Depth
Apr 15, 2024MENA Economic Update: Conflict and Debt in the Middle East and North Africa
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is expected to grow modestly in 2024, returning to the low growth that prevailed in the decade before the pandemic.
Oct 05, 2023MENA Economic Update: Balancing Act: Jobs and Wages in the Middle East and North ...
Like the rest of the world, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has faced a dizzying sequence of global macroeconomic shocks since 2020.
Jun 07, 2023Built to Include: Reimagining Social Protection in the Middle East and North ...
While job creation depends on a dynamic, competitive, and vibrant private sector, the new World Bank report, Built to Include: Reimagining Social Protection Systems in the Middle East and North Africa,
Apr 27, 2023Finding Institutional Solutions to Water Scarcity in MENA
The Economics of Water Scarcity in the Middle East and North Africa: Institutional Solutions, examines the severity of MENA’s water crisis and offers suggestions on how countries can better allocate and manage water.
Jan 18, 2023Land Matters: New Report Highlights Deepening Land Crisis in MENA Region
The growing challenge of land scarcity, exacerbated by population growth and the impacts of climate change, threaten economic development in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Mar 09, 20222022 Human Capital Plan for the Middle East and North Africa
This 2022 update to the World Bank’s Human Capital Plan provides insights into the period that follows the Human Capital Index 2020, which was based on data collected prior to the pandemic.