Office of the Chief Economist, Middle East and North Africa Region

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region faces a broad range of developmental challenges.  Not least of these are the managing of scarce water resources, improving education access and quality, expanding gender equity, and promoting poverty reduction and equitable growth.  Through knowledge sharing and policy-relevant research, the Office of the Chief Economist seeks to deepen understanding of these issues and promote effective strategies for confronting these challenges.

The Office of the Chief Economist also provides guidance on the Bank's work program in MENA.  Through its role in monitoring and analyzing Economic and Sector Work (ESW) and Technical Assistance (TA), it supports regional procedures for improving the quality, relevance, and effectiveness of the Bank's work.

The Office of the Chief Economist is responsible for monitoring, analyzing, and reporting on the MENA region's overall economic trends and outlook. It provides guidance on regional inputs for major World Bank publications, including Global Economic Prospects,  World Development Report, and the Annual Report.    Representing the World Bank MENA region, the Chief Economist interacts with various international agencies and organizations, presenting research and addressing conferences to enrich the knowledge and policy debate among development practitioners, both within the region and worldwide.