World Bank - Middle East and North Africa

The development objective of the Masar Ibrahim and Abraham Path : Economic Development Across Fragile Communities Project for West Bank and Gaza is to contribute to job creation and income generation for marginalized rural communities along the Abraham Path in the West Bank, with a particular focus on women and youth, and to capture lessons from piloting job creation through experiential tourism that can be applied in other fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCS) settings. The project comprises of four components. The first component, investment in people and institutions invests in the capacity and institutional sustainability of all local actors across the value chain of the path. The second component, Abraham path development invests in the development of the path that is required to raise the quality of visitors’ experience on the path and to empower local communities and guides to tap its full potential. The third component, marketing, business development, and communication invest in the expansion of private sector engagement on the path (tour guides, tour operators) as a viable experience for multi-day and single day trips. The fourth component will invest in monitoring and evaluation and knowledge dissemination.2014-09-25T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-25T04:00:00.000ZTransport|Culture and Development|Communities and Human Settlements|Finance and Financial Sector DevelopmentCultural Policy|Transport Economics Policy & Planning|Housing & Human Habitats|Cultural Heritage & Preservation|Banks & Banking ReformMiddle East and North AfricaWest Bank and Gaza - Masar Ibrahim and Abraham Path : Economic Development Across Fragile Communities ProjectEnglishWest Bank and GazaTransport|Culture and Development|Communities and Human Settlements|Finance and Financial Sector DevelopmentCultural Policy|Transport Economics Policy & Planning|Housing & Human Habitats|Cultural Heritage & Preservation|Banks & Banking Reform83908West Bank and GazaEnglishProject Appraisal DocumentMiddle East and North Africa

The project GZ Emergency Response Second Municipal Development Project AF is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

2014-09-25T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-25T04:00:00.000ZWest Bank and GazaP152523GZNEW RELEASENEW

2014-09-24T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-24T04:00:00.000ZISR15368IraqAl-Ani,Mohammed WafaaEnglishIraq - IQ - Emergency Electricity Reconstruction Project (EERP) : P087734 - Implementation Status Results Report : Sequence 16Implementation Status and Results ReportEnglishIraq

The project Gaza Emergency Response for Electricity Network Rehabilitation (AF) is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

2014-09-24T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-24T04:00:00.000ZWest Bank and GazaP152411GZNEW RELEASENEW

2014-09-23T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-23T04:00:00.000ZWorldNadeem,MohammadEnglishOfficial Documents- Amendment to the Administration Agreement with the Kingdom of Denmark for Supplemental Contribution to TF071898AgreementEnglishWorld

2014-09-23T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-23T04:00:00.000ZEgypt, Arab Republic ofAhmed,Syed I.EnglishOfficial Documents- Revised Supplemental Letter for Loan 7851-EGSide LetterEnglishEgypt, Arab Republic of

The SE4ALL objectives are global, with individual countries setting their own national targets in a way that is consistent with the overall spirit of the initiative. Because countries differ greatly in their ability to pursue the three objectives, some will make more rapid progress in one area while others will excel elsewhere, depending on their respective starting points and comparative advantages as well as on the resources and support that they are able to marshal. To sustain momentum for the achievement of the SE4ALL objectives, a means of charting global progress to 2030 is needed. The World Bank and the International Energy Agency led a consortium of 15 international agencies to establish the SE4ALL Global Tracking Framework (GTF), which provides a system for regular global reporting, based on rigorous, yet practical, given available databases, technical measures. This note is based on that framework (World Bank 2014). SE4ALL will publish an updated version of the GTF in 2015.2014-09-23T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-23T04:00:00.000ZEnergy|EnvironmentEnergy Production and Transportation|Energy and Environment|Climate Change Mitigation and Green House Gases|Environment and Energy Efficiency|Energy DemandMiddle East and North AfricaPortale, Elisa|Wit, Joeri deTracking progress toward sustainable energy for all in the Middle East and North AfricaEnglishMiddle East and North AfricaEnergy|EnvironmentEnergy Production and Transportation|Energy and Environment|Climate Change Mitigation and Green House Gases|Environment and Energy Efficiency|Energy Demand90889Middle East and North AfricaEnglishBriefMiddle East and North Africa

Obtaining consistent estimates on poverty over time as well as monitoring poverty trends on a timely basis is a priority concern for policy makers. However, these objectives are not readily achieved in practice when household consumption data are neither frequently collected, nor constructed using consistent and transparent criteria. This paper develops a formal framework for survey-to-survey poverty imputation in an attempt to overcome these obstacles, and to elevate the discussion of these methods beyond the largely ad-hoc efforts in the existing literature. The framework introduced here imposes few restrictive assumptions, works with simple variance formulas, provides guidance on the selection of control variables for model building, and can be generally applied to imputation either from one survey to another survey with the same design, or to another survey with a different design. Empirical results analyzing the Household Expenditure and Income Survey and the Unemployment and Employment Survey in Jordan are quite encouraging, with imputation-based poverty estimates closely tracking the direct estimates of poverty. 2014-09-23T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-23T04:00:00.000ZScience and Technology Development|Poverty Reduction|Private Sector DevelopmentRural Poverty Reduction|Statistical & Mathematical Sciences|Achieving Shared Growth|E-BusinessMiddle East and North AfricaDang, Hai-Anh H.|Lanjouw, Peter F.|Serajuddin, UmarUpdating poverty estimates at frequent intervals in the absence of consumption data : methods and illustration with reference to a middle-income countryEnglishJordanScience and Technology Development|Poverty Reduction|Private Sector DevelopmentRural Poverty Reduction|Statistical & Mathematical Sciences|Achieving Shared Growth|E-BusinessWPS7043JordanEnglishPolicy Research Working PaperMiddle East and North Africa

The project EG-Urban Transport Infrastructure Development is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

2014-09-23T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-23T04:00:00.000ZEgypt, Arab Republic ofP149704EGNEW RELEASENEW

2014-09-22T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-22T04:00:00.000ZLebanonGhaleb,Joey RaymondEnglishLebanon - Lebanon Fiscal Management Reform 2 : P133226 - Implementation Status Results Report : Sequence 01Implementation Status and Results ReportEnglishLebanon

2014-09-17T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-17T04:00:00.000ZISDSA10332LebanonKfouri,ClaireEnglishIntegrated Safeguards Data Sheet (Appraisal Stage) - Lebanon-Water Supply Augmentation Project - P125184Integrated Safeguards Data SheetEnglishLebanon

2014-09-17T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-17T04:00:00.000ZLebanonWang,Mei - LEGAMEnglishOfficial Documents- Amendment to the Grant Agreement for TF010404AgreementEnglishLebanon

2014-09-17T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-17T04:00:00.000ZLebanonWang,Mei - LEGAMEnglishOfficial Documents- Amendment to the Supplemental Letter Ref. Project Monitoring Indicators for TF010404Side LetterEnglishLebanon

The project Emergency Support to Social Protection Project is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

2014-09-17T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-17T04:00:00.000ZYemen, Republic ofP151923RYNEW RELEASENEW

2014-09-16T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-16T04:00:00.000ZPIDA12042YemenErsado,LireEnglishProject Information Document (Appraisal Stage) - Emergency Support to Social Protection Project - P151923Project Information DocumentEnglishYemen

Until 2010 Tunisia appeared to be doing well and was heralded by the World Bank and the IMF as a role model for other developing countries, and the World Economic Forum repeatedly ranked Tunisia as the most competitive economy in Africa. Yet, the Tunisian model had serious flaws. Inadequate creation of jobs, notably for university graduates, and deep regional disparities were a source of increasing frustration across the country in the run up to the January 2011 Revolution. This development policy review shows that, in contrast to the façade often presented by the former regime, Tunisia's economic environment was and remains deeply deficient. The review highlights an economy that has remained frozen in low-value added activities and where firms are stagnating in terms of productivity and jobs creation. The review argues that Tunisian prosperity has been held back by policies that have reduced the country’s overall economic performance. This poor performance results from extensive barriers to entry and market restrictions coupled with a heavy business regulations and a poorly functioning financial system, have resulted in economic stagnation. Economic policies have exacerbated cronyism and rent-seeking, allowing under-performing firms to survive, regardless of their productivity. in order to fulfill its economic potential, Tunisia needs to create a level playing field by opening up the economy and removing Tunisia's three dualisms, namely the onshore-offshore division, the dichotomy between the coast and the interior, and the segmentation of the labor market. A strong social policy is also necessary, of course, and should be designed to accompany private sector-led growth. Tunisia can capitalize on a strong competitive advantage to export wage-intensive goods, expand its export of services, and unleash the potential of agriculture, to the benefit of small businesses, young graduates, and farmers in Tunisia's long-neglected interior regions. Realizing these benefits will require improving the investment climate, rationalizing regulations, and developing more equitable development policies that benefit all of Tunisia's regions. The Unfinished Revolution is a challenge for policymakers to rethink Tunisia's economic development model, to question existing assumptions, and to dare to think big about policy reforms which can accelerate growth and shared prosperity, create quality jobs and promote regional development.2014-09-16T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-16T04:00:00.000ZInternational Economics and Trade|Social Protections and Labor|Private Sector DevelopmentLabor Markets|Employment and Unemployment|Trade Liberalization|Competition Policy|Social Protections & AssistanceMiddle East and North AfricaThe unfinished revolution : bringing opportunity, good jobs and greater wealth to all TunisiansEnglishTunisiaInternational Economics and Trade|Social Protections and Labor|Private Sector DevelopmentLabor Markets|Employment and Unemployment|Trade Liberalization|Competition Policy|Social Protections & Assistance86179TunisiaEnglishDevelopment Policy Review (DPR)Middle East and North Africa

2014-09-16T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-16T04:00:00.000ZTunisiaEsen,FerhatEnglishTunisia - Energy Efficiency : P104266 - Implementation Status Results Report : Sequence 09Implementation Status and Results ReportEnglishTunisia

2014-09-16T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-16T04:00:00.000ZYemenCamos Daurella,DanielEnglishYemen, Republic of - RY-Rural Energy Access Project : P092211 - Implementation Status Results Report : Sequence 11Implementation Status and Results ReportEnglishYemen

Female labor participation in the Arab world is low compared with the level of economic development of Arab countries. Beyond anecdotal evidence and cross-country studies, there is little evidence on what could explain this phenomenon. This paper uses the richest set of panel data available for any Arab country to date to model female labor participation in Morocco. The paper finds marriage, household inactivity rates, secondary education, and gross domestic product per capita to lower female labor participation rates. It also finds that the category urban educated women with secondary education explains better than others the low level of female labor participation. These surprising findings are robust to different estimators, endogeneity tests, different specifications of the female labor participation equations, and different sources of data. The findings are also consistent with previous studies on the Middle East and North Africa region and on Morocco. The explanation seems to reside in the nature of economic growth and gender norms. Economic growth has not been labor intensive, has generated few jobs, and has not been in female-friendly sectors, resulting in weak demand for women, especially urban educated women with secondary education. And when men and women compete for scarce jobs, men may have priority access because of employers' and households' preferences. 2014-09-15T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-15T04:00:00.000ZSocial Protections and Labor|Health, Nutrition and Population|Communities and Human Settlements|EducationPopulation Policies|Primary Education|Housing & Human Habitats|Labor Markets|Teaching and LearningMiddle East and North AfricaVerme, Paolo|Barry, Abdoul Gadiry|Guennouni, JamalFemale labor participation in the Arab world : some evidence from panel data in MoroccoEnglishMoroccoSocial Protections and Labor|Health, Nutrition and Population|Communities and Human Settlements|EducationPopulation Policies|Primary Education|Housing & Human Habitats|Labor Markets|Teaching and LearningWPS7031MoroccoEnglishPolicy Research Working PaperMiddle East and North Africa

2014-09-15T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-15T04:00:00.000ZLebanonKfouri,ClaireEnglishLebanon - LB- GREATER BEIRUT WATER SUPPLY : P103063 - Implementation Status Results Report : Sequence 08Implementation Status and Results ReportEnglishLebanon