Report Launch: MENA Economic Update: Reality Check: Forecasting Growth in the Middle East and North Africa in Times of Uncertainty

FromMay 18, 2022 To May 18, 2022

Online Webinar

This edition of the World Bank MENA Economic Update estimates that the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s economies will grow by 5.2% in 2022, the fastest rate since 2016. However, uncertainty reigns with the unpredictable course of the war in Ukraine and the scientific uncertainty about the evolutionary path of the virus that causes COVID-19. The economic recovery may be uneven as regional averages mask broad differences between countries. Oil producers may benefit from elevated energy prices along with higher vaccination rates for COVID-19, while fragile countries lag. Per capita GDP, which is a more accurate measure of people’s standard of living, barely exceeds pre-pandemic levels due to a lackluster performance for most countries in 2020-2021. If these forecasts materialize, 11 out of 17 MENA economies may not recover to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2022.

Please join us for a special presentation and discussion about the World Bank’s latest Middle East and North Africa Economic Update: Reality Check: Forecasting Growth in the Middle East and North Africa in Times of Uncertainty https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/mena/publication/mena-economic-update-overconfident-how-economic-and-health-fault-lines-left-the-middle-east-and-north-africa-ill-prepare .

Read the full report here…

The World Bank and the Economic Research Forum (ERF) are pleased to share the findings from this latest report, followed by an engaging conversation with a panel of World Bank and ERF experts.

Register here!