WASHINGTON, DC: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) plans to establish a forum for dialogue on pressing economic issues, promote policy-oriented academic research tailored to the needs and unique challenges of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, which it hopes will also provide a platform for the exchange of ideas and insights for academics, researchers, and policymakers in the MENA region and worldwide.
Two top IMF directors said in a statement the other day that conflicts, trade tensions, volatile commodity prices, changing climate conditions, energy transitions, rapid technological advances are altering the economic landscape of the MENA region, posing severe challenges but also presenting opportunities for bold reforms that “safeguard macroeconomic stability, build resilience and raise living standards.”
Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department and Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, Economic Counsellor and Director of the Research Department of the IMF global shocks were adding to regional factors resulting in exceptionally uncertain economic environment for MENA economies. The directors said economic research is essential to provide reliable analysis and develop workable and innovative policy responses.
“In this context, we are pleased to announce that the IMF will organize an annual Economic Research Conference on MENA, partnering with leading universities in the region. The aim is to establish a forum for dialogue on pressing economic issues, promote policy-oriented academic research tailored to the needs and unique challenges of the region. It will also provide a platform for the exchange of ideas and insights for academics, researchers, and policymakers in the MENA region and worldwide.”
“The inaugural conference, Steering Macroeconomic and Structural Policies in A Shifting Global Economic Landscape, will be co-organized with Onsi Sawiris School of Business at The American University in Cairo and take place in Cairo on May 18-19, 2025. It will feature presentations and panel discussions by leading economists and policymakers. The conference details and agenda are available here.
“The IMF is a long-standing partner to countries in the MENA region in the quest for more inclusive and resilient growth. The IMF-MENA Annual Research Conference is another step forward to further strengthen that partnership and engagement with the region and its people,” the directors’ statement said.
