Shifting Gears: The Private Sector as an Engine of Growth in Middle East and North Africa (MENA)

Standards of living in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are far from the frontier, largely due to low productivity. The April 2025 issue of the MENA Economic Update, Shifting Gears, sheds light on a critical engine of productivity growth: the private sector. Businesses create jobs, boost livelihoods, and spur innovation. To accelerate the performance of the private sector, governments in the region may need to rethink their roles and firms could do more to better harness untapped talent in the region. Join experts from the region for a live discussion on these issues as well as an overview of economic trends in the MENA region. Learn more: http://wrld.bg/zmeR50VMfJ6 #economicoutlook

📋AGENDA & SPEAKERS
00:00 Welcome and opening remarks by Ousmane Dione, Vice President, Middle East and North Africa, World Bank 
08:09 Main findings from the MENA Economic Update, by Roberta Gatti, Chief Economist of the Middle East and North Africa region, World Bank
30:13 Panel discussion
- Caroline Freund, Dean of the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy
- Omar Razzaz, Senior Fellow, Middle East Initiative at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government
50:53 Closing remarks by Ousmane Dione, Vice President, Middle East and North Africa, World Bank 

💬 Subtitles (CC) available in English with AI-generated translation into 100+ languages.

🔊 LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION
Watch in Arabic: https://youtube.com/live/x2GrBvG1uAM
French: https://youtube.com/live/PLatr1yjxaQ

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ABOUT US 🌐 The World Bank Group (WBG) is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development on a livable planet. http://www.worldbank.org
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