event
Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center

The IMF at 80: An Assessment of its Policies in the MENA Region

Wed. July 24th, 2024
Virtual

This month marks the 80th anniversary of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Originally established to keep the Gold Exchange Standard, the IMF underwent a change in its mandate in the early 1970s to focus on development and helping struggling economies. Over the decades, the IMF has provided several forms of support for Middle Eastern and North African countries (MENA), including technical and financial assistance as well as policy advice. However, the programs and structural adjustment policies advocated by the IMF have had harsh effects on MENA economies and societies. And while the IMF has changed its rhetoric to emphasize social inclusion and inclusive growth, its programs continue to face significant public and political resistance in the region.

Against this background, the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center is hosting a policy webinar on July 24, 2024, at 10 AM EST/5 PM Beirut time to assess the work of the IMF in the region, historically and in the present. The webinar will examine how the role of the IMF has evolved over time, evaluate its latest programs in the region, and discuss how the IMF can do better in the future. The event will feature Alia Moubayed and Nabil Abdo and will be moderated by Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center fellow Nur Arafeh.

The discussion will be held in English. Viewers may submit their questions to the panelists using the live chat feature on Facebook and YouTube.

For more information, please contact Najwa Yassine at najwa.yassine@carnegie-mec.org.

Economy
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
event speakers

Nur Arafeh

Fellow, Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center

Nur Arafeh is a fellow at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center, where she is co-leading the program on the political economy of the MENA region. Her research focuses on business-state relations, food insecurity, inequality, peacebuilding strategies, the development-security nexus and Palestinian-Israeli affairs.

Alia Moubayed

Alia Moubayed is the emerging markets strategist at Jefferies International and assumed research and policy responsibilities in the design and implementation of economic sector reforms in the MENA region.

Alia Moubayed is an experienced economist, policy practitioner, and strategist with more than 25 years of experience in government, international financial institutions, financial markets, and think tanks. She assumed research, policy, and management responsibilities in the design and implementation of economic and financial sector reforms covering the Middle East and North Africa and other emerging markets.


Nabil Abdo

Nabil Abdo is a senior policy advisor on international financial institutions at Oxfam International.

 

Nabil Abdo is a senior policy advisor on international financial institutions at Oxfam International. He has experience in Research and Socio-Economic Policy, with a focus on fiscal policy, labor and unions, informal economy and overall policies to reduce inequalities of income, wealth and others. His research has focused on austerity policies, unions and labor movements in the MENA region, as well as the informal economy, fiscal policies and socio-economic policies in general.