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Transforming Finance in the Middle East and North Africa

Author

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  • Arezki,Rabah
  • Senbet,Lemma W.

Abstract

This paper argues for a transformation of finance to support the economic and social transformation of the Middle East and North Africa. The paper first documents the existing financial system in the region. The system is heavily skewed toward banking, relative to non-banking services, such as stock and corporate bond markets, with significant heterogeneity across countries. Second, the paper discusses the stance of macroeconomic policy in the region, which has had important implications for the destination, profitability, and quality of bank lending and the limited evolution of the financial system. Third, the paper explores the impact of technology on financial development, with particular attention to prospects for the development of fintechs. Entrenched incumbency of banks has limited the role of non-bank operators in fostering market contestability and fintech development. The paper is a call to the authorities and policy makers in the Middle East and North Africa to break with the status quo and business as usual. It underscores the need for a “moonshot approach†focused on establishing the foundations of a new digital economy and its role in promoting a well-functioning and inclusive financial economy to support the development needs of the region.

Suggested Citation

  • Arezki,Rabah & Senbet,Lemma W., 2020. "Transforming Finance in the Middle East and North Africa," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9301, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:9301
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rabah Arezki, 2021. "The Economics of Sustainability: Causes and Consequences of Energy Market Transformation," Economics of Energy & Environmental Policy, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 2).
    2. Cull, Robert & Senbet, Lemma W & Sorge, Marco, 2005. "Deposit Insurance and Financial Development," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 37(1), pages 43-82, February.
    3. Ethan Ilzetzki & Carmen M Reinhart & Kenneth S Rogoff, 2019. "Exchange Arrangements Entering the Twenty-First Century: Which Anchor will Hold?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 134(2), pages 599-646.
    4. Rabah Arezki & Lili Mottaghi & Andrea Barone & Rachel Yuting Fan & Youssouf Kiendrebeogo & Daniel Lederman, "undated". "Middle East and North Africa Economic Monitor, April 2018," World Bank Publications - Reports 29649, The World Bank Group.
    5. Rafael La Porta & Florencio Lopez‐De‐Silanes & Andrei Shleifer, 2002. "Government Ownership of Banks," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 57(1), pages 265-301, February.
    6. Rabah Arezki & Rachel Yuting Fan & Ha Nguyen, 2021. "Technology adoption and the middle‐income trap: Lessons from the Middle East and East Asia," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(3), pages 1711-1740, August.
    7. Thorsten Beck & Asli Demirgüç-Kunt & Ross Levine, 2000. "A New Database on the Structure and Development of the Financial Sector," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 14(3), pages 597-605, September.
    8. Rijkers, Bob & Freund, Caroline & Nucifora, Antonio, 2017. "All in the family: State capture in Tunisia," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 41-59.
    9. World Bank, 2004. "Unlocking the Employment Potential in the Middle East and North Africa : Toward a New Social Contract," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 15011, December.
    10. Rabah Arezki & Lili Mottaghi & Andrea Barone & Rachel Yuting Fan & Amani Abou Harb & Omer M. Karasapan & Hideki Matsunaga & Ha Nguyen & Francois de Soyres, "undated". "Middle East and North Africa Economic Monitor, October 2018 [Bulletin d'information economique de la region MENA]," World Bank Publications - Reports 30436, The World Bank Group.
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    Cited by:

    1. Philippe Adair & Vladimir Hlasny & Mariem Omrani & Kareem Sharabi Rosshandler, 2022. "Fostering social businesses and formalising the informal economy in MENA countries," Erudite Working Paper 2022-03, Erudite.
    2. Paul Makdissi & Walid Marrouch & Myra Yazbeck, 2022. "Monitoring Poverty in a Data Deprived Environment: The Case of Lebanon," Working Papers 2022-014, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.

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