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Can a game teach us how to better invest in the poor in Jordan?
“I never thought that a poor family could benefit so much by me giving just a small amount of money,” the old man said with an intrigued yet hopeful expression on his face. We were sitting in a...
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Better together: a new regional platform to improve public service delivery
Whether constructing a new bridge or buying textbooks for a public school, governments around the world constantly purchase a wide variety of goods and services. In the countries of the Middle East and...
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Live tweeting for the Right to Know
The World Bank celebrates UN International Right to Know day in recognition of the right of every citizen to access public information to hold governments accountable.
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Who Benefits from a Higher Minimum Wage in the Egyptian Public Sector?
The recent article in Mada Masr about Egypt’s new public-sector minimum wage “falling short” makes the right point—that the increase will exacerbate inequality—but for the wrong reason. It is not...
View ArticleNew Support for Jordan to focus on Jobs and Growth
Video World Bank Lead Economist, Eric Le Borgne discusses the focus of new support for Jordan.
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Why Private Sector Development is Crucial for Morocco
Like many economies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, Morocco’s depends on the public sector, but with its economy expected to grow by only about 3 percent in 2014—having slipped from...
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How can public procurement improve business opportunities for MENA SMEs?
Small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) are becoming more of a priority for policymakers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Seen as the driving force of many MENA economies, they help...
View ArticleVoices from Yemeni Civil Society
Civil society organizations in Yemen are among the most vibrant and dynamic in the Middle East and North Africa region. International experience has shown that they have a vital role to play in meeting...
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Time is Money, especially on Cairo’s Streets
When I told friends and colleagues that my new job would be based in Cairo, almost everyone mentioned the awful congestion in the city, and how I would be wasting a tremendous amount of time being...
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What Smart(er) Politicians Do With Subsidies: Jobs
What makes smart politicians? Jeffrey Frankel has an idea. His recent blog examines the allure, and trap, of universal subsidies. For one thing, they know that pulling the plug on bad policies...
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Fighting corruption in Lebanon: No more taboos? No more untouchables?
Once an unmentionable endemic, corruption seems to have gained the honor of the limelight. It is now at the forefront of the public debate in Lebanon. Today, Lebanon’s political scene is watching in...
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Tunisia: Understanding corruption to fight it better
Corruption in the public sector is a multifaceted and complex phenomenon. It can take on a myriad of forms and come to light in various areas. It ranges from petty corruption among government...
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Unveiling the scale of tax fraud in Tunisia
Ending abuse of power by the ruling elites was one of the chief demands of those who took to the streets during the Arab Spring protests. Our new research paper unveils the scale of such abuse.
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Morocco’s social contract and civil liberties
The Arab Spring and its aftermath have inspired much discussion of the social contracts that had defined the relationship between citizens and the state in the Arab world. In the past, the typical...
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Tunisia Presents its Open Budget Project: MIZANIATOUNA (Our Budget)
The Tunisian revolution has spawned a butterfly effect, very specific to its context. On the ground, events have continued to evolve, contributing to a revolution within the Tunisian administration....
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