Events

The Policy Center for the New South, in collaboration with the International Monetary Fund, is pleased to invite you to join a virtual panel on mitigating the long-lasting impacts from COVID-19 in the Middle East and North Africa on Thursday, November 19 at 8.00 am in Washington D.C (EST), 2.00 pm in Morocco, 3.00 pm in Cairo, 5.00 pm in the UAE.

The discussion, moderated by Mina Al-Oraibi (Editor-in-Chief, The National), will include Jihad Azour (Director, Middle East and Central Asia Department, IMF), Rania Al-Mashat (Minister of International Cooperation, Egypt), Karim El Aynaoui (President, Policy Center for the New South), and Alain Bejjani (Chief Executive Officer, Majid Al Futtaim).

The unprecedented economic crisis that has resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to inflict long-lasting damage to economies in the Middle East and North Africa, particularly given the region’s pre-existing vulnerabilities. But with the right mix of policies, countries can mitigate widespread damage and put themselves on a path to building stronger, more resilient and inclusive economic futures.

The IMF’s 2020-21 Regional Economic Outlook (REO) (October 2020) explores a wide range of issues relating to the potential long-term impact of the current economic crisis. The impact of lockdowns on services, the relatively weaker financial position of the region’s firms, and the possibility of persistently higher unemployment and worsening poverty and inequality could all contribute to a scenario where the economic fallout from the pandemic casts a shadow over the next decade in the region. Our panel will address the many facets of the challenges ahead and how countries can take steps to mitigate long-lasting impacts from the crisis and lay the foundation to rebuild back stronger.

You can join the panel directly on Zoom (click here), watch the event in English on the IMF YouTube and Twitter; or watch it in Arabic on the IMF MENA Facebook and Arabic Twitter accounts. The audience will be able to ask questions through the Q&A or comments functions on these platforms.