IMF | CEF

Target Audience: Junior to mid-level members of the financial intelligence units, target financial sanctions experts, investigators, prosecutors and judges from GCC countries, tasked with tackling terrorism and/or financing activities. Priority will be given to participants who did not attend the course on the Best Practices to Enhance the Effectiveness of CFT Frameworks, which was delivered in October 2024.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in the fields of law, criminology, or experience in the field of CFT in a legal environment, including financial intelligence, enforcement, and target financial sanctions. Having worked on AML/CFT legal cases is mandatory and basic knowledge of the FATF Recommendations and Methodology is also desirable.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic. 

Course Description: Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), targeted financial sanctions (TFS), and enforcement experts face significant challenges in combating terrorism and proliferation financing, primarily due to a lack of specialized knowledge and expertise. Many legal professionals may not have adequate training in financial crimes and terrorism financing, which hampers their ability to handle complex cases effectively. Furthermore, many judicial systems are not properly structured, or under-resourced, lacking the necessary tools, technology, and personnel to gather intelligence and take thorough enforcement action against these crimes. Coordination issues faced by various agencies also pose a challenge, as effective action requires seamless collaboration between law enforcement, financial institutions, FIUs, and the judiciary.

The course aims to provide FIU, TFS, and enforcement experts from GCC countries with a toolkit to understand CFT risks and typologies and transform financial intelligence into actionable evidence, for the successful prosecution and subsequent judgment of TF cases.

The course will have three areas:

• Understanding TF risks and activities and setting policy priorities
• The proactive identification, intelligence gathering, investigation and prosecution of TF cases
• The effective prosecution and adjudication of TF cases
• The effective and timely implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolutions related to terrorism and terrorism and proliferation financing.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Assess the risks, threats and vulnerabilities in the context of CFT/PF risk assessments, as well as mitigation measures from a legal perspective.
• Identify pragmatic solutions for investigating and disrupting CFT/PF activities from a legal perspective.
• Understand how the gathering and dissemination of financial intelligence is at the center of CFT/PF and appreciate its strategic value.

Target Audience: The course is designed for experienced individuals from banking regulatory and supervisory agencies (RSA) with at least 5 years of relevant experience. Attendees should typically be involved in banking regulation and supervision, bank examinations, risk management, and financial sector surveillance.

Qualifications: Attendees should be familiar with the Basel Core Principles for effective Banking Supervision (BCP). Familiarity with the IFSB banking standards is a plus. 

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: The training program provides attendees with a foundation of theoretical knowledge and practical skills. The program will consist of three broad focus areas: a review of the BCP and IFSB standards, standards assessment process, and practical skills. 

1. International Standards Review

• Reviewing and strengthening the participants’ understanding of the Basel Core Principles for Effective Banking Supervision, the IFSB’s Core Principles for Islamic Finance Regulations–Banking Segment, and the interlinkages between the two standards.
• Learning the standards assessment methodologies.
• Reviewing the IMF-World Bank Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) and the role of standards assessments.

2. Standards Assessment Process

• Identifying relevant background information, learning best practices for data collection, and carrying out an overview of relevant institutional and macroeconomic conditions and market infrastructure.
• Carrying out an analysis of the preconditions for an effective banking supervision.
• Conducting a detailed Principle-by-Principle assessment, including providing a description of the system for each Principle, alongside the relevant grading or “assessment”, and the necessary related comments.
• Preparing a structured and detailed assessment report and compliance table summarizing the results of the assessment and the recommended action plan.
• Engaging with the authorities and communicating findings effectively to stakeholders.

3. Practical Skills

• Reviewing the case studies of selected past FSAP assessments.
• Engaging in hands-on exercises that simulate real-world assessment scenarios, allowing participants to apply their knowledge in a controlled environment. 

Course Objectives: Aspiring financial stability assessors will be well-prepared to undertake the responsibilities of evaluating financial systems’ stability and compliance with international standards. They will possess a robust understanding of international banking standards, as well as the practical skills needed to conduct assessments, identify gaps, and communicate findings effectively, including in the context of the IMF-World Bank Financial Stability Assessment Program (FSAP). Not only does this training enrich the assessors’ expertise, but it also contributes to the overarching goal of fostering a resilient Islamic financial system globally. 

Target Audience: Mid-level and senior government officials from ministries of economy, finance, environment, and infrastructure, as well as officials from line ministries involved in Public Investment Management. 

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in economics/finance/public policy and/or work experience in public investment management.

Language: The course will be delivered in English, with simultaneous interpretation to Arabic.

Course Description: The five-day course will be delivered in person, by the IMF’s Middle East Technical Assistance Center (METAC) in cooperation with the IMF Middle East Center for Economics and Finance (CEF). The course will focus on the strategies and tools to strengthen infrastructure governance and public investment management, including the PIMA and its Climate module, to enable participants to assess the challenges in PIM in their own countries, and identify potential solutions to enhance PIM institutions. The course approach will involve a mix of lectures, country presentations and an exercise to map a reform program for particular PIM challenges. Participants are expected to actively contribute to presentations on country practices and exercises. Peer learning will be an essential element of the course.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Understand the current challenges in PIM and identify the specific needs for PIM reforms in their countries.
• Understand the key institutional roles and responsibilities, and coordination arrangements of PIM units, budget units as well as IT function throughout the planning, appraisal, selection and budgeting stages of PIM process.
• Have an overview of strategies and tools to strengthen public investment management, and good practices in the region and globally.
• Understand the objectives, tools and challenges of mainstreaming climate change considerations into the infrastructure cycle.

Target Audience: Mid- to senior officials in central banks and ministries of finance or economy who are directly involved in diagnosing the state of the macroeconomy and making projections.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have an advanced degree in economics or equivalent experience, good quantitative skills, and proficiency in the use of Microsoft Excel. It is strongly recommended for applicants to have completed the online Financial Programming and Policies, Part 1: Macroeconomic Accounts and Analysis (FPP.1x), or the online Macroeconomic Diagnostics (MDSx) course.

Language: The course is conducted in English only. Due to the technical nature of the course, English proficiency is a prerequisite.

Course Description: This course is designed to strengthen participants’ ability to comprehensively assess a country’s macroeconomic situation, including the current state of the economy, the stance of fiscal and monetary policy, financial stability, exchange rate misalignments, vulnerabilities in the different sectors, and the medium-term outlook, especially the sustainability of public and external debt.

The course emphasizes practical tools for use in day-to-day macroeconomic analysis and relies on case studies relevant to the region, where the course is given, to illustrate how these tools are applied and can contribute to the policymaking process.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Analyze potential output, calculate output gaps, and diagnose the outlook for the economy.
• Assess the stance of current fiscal, monetary, exchange rate, and financial policies.
• Assess macro-financial linkages, including through the analysis of financial sector soundness indicators.
• Assess the medium-term prospects of the economy, especially the sustainability of public and external debt.
• Identify possible external and internal economic risks and vulnerabilities to economic growth and identify policies to address them.

Target Audience: Middle to senior-level officials who have responsibilities in the area of Agriculture.

Qualifications: Candidates should have experience and current job descriptions directly relevant to Agriculture. 

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: The course is designed to facilitate the more effective participation of Arab and Middle Eastern countries in the work of the World Trade Organization related to Agriculture. It will provide an overview of ongoing discussions related to the Agreement on Agriculture at the WTO. The programme will include lectures, practical exercises, and the provision of relevant material by the WTO Secretariat. It may also include contributions from other relevant international organizations, as per availability. Participants will also contribute directly to the programme through experience sharing exercises.  

 For additional information concerning the content and admission to WTO courses offered at the CEF, please address your inquiries to Mr. Samer Seif El-Yazal: samer.seif@wto.org

Target Audience: This course is designed for policymakers and senior-level representatives from relevant ministries who are interested in leveraging behavioral science to improve policies, programs, and communication. Participants should be committed to instilling an institutional change and have a desire to explore innovative, evidence-based approaches to policy challenges.

Qualifications: No prior knowledge of behavioral science is required—just an openness to learning and applying new approaches to enhance policy effectiveness.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: Policymakers are increasingly turning to behavioral science to tackle complex and persistent policy challenges. Traditional policy design often overlooks the contextual, psychological, and social factors that shape human decision-making. A behaviorally informed approach goes beyond economic incentives and regulations to consider the subtle but powerful influences embedded in bureaucracies, technologies, and service delivery—factors that can make or break the success of development programs, particularly in low-income contexts.

Course Objectives: This course will equip participants with practical tools to diagnose behavioral barriers, design effective interventions, and implement behaviorally informed policies and programs. Through interactive, hands-on activities, participants will apply behavioral insights to real-world policy challenges, learning how to:

• Identify cognitive biases and decision traps that affect both policymakers and the people they serve.
• Improve the design and delivery of policies, programs, and services.
• Develop low-cost, high-impact solutions to improve policy outcomes.

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to eMBeD@worldbank.org

Target Audience: Officials responsible for the compilation of external sector statistics (ESS) (balance of payments and/or international investment position (IIP) statistics), and who are familiar with the methodology of the Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Statistics Manual, sixth edition (BPM6). 

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in economics or statistics and at least two years of relevant compilation experience or should have completed the Compilation of Balance of Payments Statistics course. 

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Statistics Department, targets compilers with a certain degree of experience in the compilation and/or analysis of balance of payments and/or IIP. It aims to provide a deep understanding of the concepts, data sources and compilation techniques for balance of payments and IIP statistics and their application in addressing complex methodological issues. The course does not cover the basic balance of payments and IIP concepts. The intermediate level of the course presupposes participants’ familiarity with the basic concepts. The course will also elaborate on the topics being addressed during the current update of BPM6.

The course consists of a series of lectures and workshops analyzing country cases, with a strong data component, and is designed to allow peer learning and sharing of experiences. Recognizing the challenges in compiling data in emerging areas of user interest, the course emphasizes on specific topics, such as estimating informal cross-border activities and the treatment of special purpose entities. The course examines themes and challenges emerging from developments in the global economy, and participants have the opportunity to discuss how these impact compilation work. Specific exercises are geared to integrate data compilation with Fund surveillance and policy advice; and to demonstrate the analytical uses of ESS.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of the course, participants should be able to:

• Apply knowledge gained in dealing with complex methodological and compilation issues related to balance of payments and IIP statistics.
• Describe the high-level themes that are being addressed during the current update of BPM6.
• Identify potential data sources and compilation techniques to be used to improve the coverage in ESS of activities emerging from globalization.
• Describe the analytical uses of balance of payments and IIP statistics.

Target Audience: Mid- to Senior level banking supervisors in charge of bank supervision.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to be involved in banking supervision and familiar with bank regulation and supervision issues.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This regional course, presented by the IMF Middle East Center for Economics and Finance (CEF) and the IMF – Middle East Regional Technical Assistance Center (METAC), aims to build capacity of banking supervisors in establishing minimum supervisory expectations and guiding banks in creating and maintaining robust and comprehensive frameworks for estimating adequate expected credit losses on financial instruments, and establishing internal supervisory examination processes to evaluate the adequacy of those frameworks.  In so doing, the course will cover various aspects of IFRS 9 and its expected credit loss (ECL) approach to estimating credit loss provisions, notably the classification and staging of financial instruments, key and common definitions, ECL model development, management, and supervisory assessment, and regulatory and accounting provision approaches.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Classify financial instruments based on IFRS 9 and evaluate the staging criteria of banks.
• Describe the role of governance and control in an effective ECL framework. 
• Understand the role of Supervisors in banks’ implementation of IFRS 9.
• Establish minimum supervisory expectations for banks in implementing and maintaining their ECL frameworks.
• Identify and interrogate the key components of an effective ECL framework.
• Understand the treatment of ECL anomalies such as credit forbearance, purchased or originated-impaired (POCI) financial instruments, other problem assets, in economically stressful periods.
• Learn from implementation challenges from other countries’ experiences.

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to Ms. Nehmat Hantas, Banking Regulation and Supervision Advisor, METAC: nhantas@imf.org

Target Audience: Mid- to senior-level banking supervisors.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to be involved in microprudential regulation and supervision of banking institutions.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This regional course, presented by the IMF-CEF and the Financial Supervision and Regulation Division of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department of the IMF (MCMFR), aims at strengthening banking supervisors’ capacity to implement the risk-based supervision (RBS) approach required by international standards for the banking sector. The course begins by introducing the conceptual RBS approach and discussing the concrete challenges for effective RBS implementation in prudential regulations and supervisory processes. The course then presents methodological guidance on assessing a bank‘s risk profile in view of deciding adapted supervisory priorities and early intervention measures to address identified weaknesses. Through a mix of sessions including lectures, practical case studies, and interactive discussion, the course provides guidance on making a risk-based supervisory assessment of banks’ financial soundness, with highlights on corporate governance, risk management, and main financial risks (with a selected focus on credit, liquidity, and operational risks), leveraging supervisory bank-rating models for illustration.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Understand the approach and methodology of risk-based banking supervision.
• Implement a risk-based assessment of a bank’s risk profile that would result in early identification of material risk issues.
• Determine appropriate preventive and corrective supervisory action aimed at addressing identified weaknesses in individual banks.
• Incorporate the risk-based approach into supervisory objectives, action plans, organization, and processes within their respective authorities.

For additional information on the content of the course, please address your inquiries to Mr. Alexis Boher, Senior Financial Sector Expert, MCMFR, at aboher@imf.org.

Target Audience: Compilers and analysts of public sector debt statistics employed by ministries/agencies responsible for official public sector debt.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in economics or statistics; or equivalent experience.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course covers the fundamentals needed to compile and disseminate comprehensive public sector debt statistics (PSDS) that are useful for policy- and decision-makers, as well as other users. The course introduces the conceptual statistical framework for PSDS—as presented in the Public Sector Debt Statistics: Guide for Compilers and Users 2011 (PSDSG 2011)—in the context of the government finance statistics (GFS) framework, which is harmonized with other macroeconomic statistical frameworks. Basic concepts, definitions, and classifications are covered, along with the principal accounting rules (including valuation and consolidation) that are relevant for PSDS compilation.

The course discusses the recommended instrument and institutional coverage for compiling comprehensive and internationally comparable PSDS. It also deals with the impact of some debt-related issues on PSDS, such as debt assumption, debt forgiveness, on-lending, financial leases, and financial bailouts. Important PSDS compilation considerations—including what PSDS to compile and disseminate—and the IMF’s guidelines and standards on disseminating PSDS are also covered. 

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Understand basic concepts and classification of public sector debt statistics
• Identify and validate data sources
• Recognize the compatibility of public debt within the government finance statistics framework
• Acquire knowledge of the principal accounting rules
• Understand the structure and modes of reporting to international databases

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to Mr. Volkan Cetinkaya, Senior Economist, Health Nutrition & Population MNA (HMNHN) at vcetinkaya@worldbank.org

Target Audience: This course is specifically tailored for technical-level government officials and health sector stakeholders who are engaged in designing, implementing, or evaluating health programs and policies. It is ideal for those new to impact evaluation or seeking to strengthen their foundational knowledge in this area.

Qualifications: Participants will be junior to mid-level representatives from health ministries, health insurance agencies, public health authorities, and development partners who support health sector programs. Participants are expected to have an advanced degree in health economics, public health or equivalent, and good quantitative skills. 

Language: The course will be conducted in English, with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic..

Course Description: TIn many countries, health programs often fall short of achieving their desired outcomes due to limited evidence on what works, for whom, and under what conditions. Impact evaluation addresses this gap by using rigorous methods to assess the causal effects of policies, programs, and interventions in the health sector. It equips policymakers and program managers with evidence-based insights to design effective strategies, allocate resources efficiently, and improve health outcomes.

This course offers participants a comprehensive and hands-on introduction to the principles and practices of impact evaluation, specifically tailored to the health sector. It emphasizes practical applications and addresses the unique challenges of evaluating health programs in diverse contexts.Concepts and definitions related to NOE in the 2008 SNA, such as:

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Develop a solid understanding of the core principles of impact evaluation, including causality, counterfactuals, and distinguishing correlation from causation.
• Explore various impact evaluation designs, including randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental methods, to assess the effectiveness of health policies and programs.
• Gain practical skills in designing and implementing impact evaluations tailored to health sector challenges and constraints.
• Learn best practices for data collection, management, and indicator selection in health program evaluations, with a focus on low-resource settings.
• Understand how impact evaluation findings can be translated into actionable policy recommendations to improve health outcomes and resource allocation.
• Integrate economic evaluation techniques, such as cost-effectiveness analysis, into impact evaluations to assess program feasibility and scalability.
• Apply impact evaluation concepts through hands-on exercises, case studies, and real-world examples from global health interventions.

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to Mr. Volkan Cetinkaya, Senior Economist, Health Nutrition & Population MNA (HMNHN) at vcetinkaya@worldbank.org

Target Audience: Officials from central banks and/or financial regulatory institutions involved in the compilation and analysis of monetary statistics.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in economics or statistics or equivalent experience. Previous completion of the MFS online course is recommended.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, delivered by the Statistics Department, covers the conceptual and practical aspects of compiling monetary statistics, focusing on the central bank (CB) and other depository corporations (ODCs), as set out in the 2016 Monetary and Financial Statistics Manual and Compilation Guide (MFSMCG). The course covers the building blocks of MFS, including the concepts of residency and institutional sectors, the characteristics and types of financial assets and liabilities, as well as the valuation and other accounting principles relevant for the compilation of monetary statistics. Participants will become familiar with the defining characteristics of depository corporations (DCs), notably their role as money issuers, and how the sectoral balance sheets of DCs are consolidated and rearranged to derive analytical presentations and money aggregates. The course will also discuss the treatment of electronic money and central bank digital currencies in MFS, as well as introduce the other financial corporations (OFCs). The course will comprise lectures and exercises focused on practical aspects of compiling monetary statistics for central banks and ODCs, using the standardized report forms (SRFs), and derivation of analytical surveys from SRFs: central bank survey, ODCs Survey, and DCs Survey. Emphasis is also placed on peer learning through sharing of country experiences among the participants.  

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:  

• Understand the conceptual framework underlying MFS compilation, focusing on sectoring, classification of financial assets, valuation, and accounting framework.
• Compile monetary statistics (sectoral balance sheets and analytical surveys) for the CB, ODC, and DC sectors.
• Understand how the DCs survey and the money and credit aggregates support the analysis of monetary policy.  
• Understand the treatment of electronic money and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) in MFS. 
• Gain a basic understanding of the compilation of monetary statistics for other financial corporations.

Target Audience: Junior to mid-level members of Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), AML/CFT supervisory authorities, investigators and prosecutors in charge of investigations into and prosecution of ML/TF activities, and other members of competent authorities that are tasked with national or sectorial risk assessments. Priority will be given to participants that are members of risk assessment committees in their countries or tasked with a risk assessment function in their respective authorities/agencies.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have worked in the area of AML/CFT for at least three years and have knowledge of the FATF Recommendations.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic. 

Course Description: The Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF)[1] standard requires countries to identify, assess, and understand the money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing (ML/TF/PF) risks and apply a risk-based approach (RBA)[2] (i.e., ensure that measures to prevent or mitigate ML/TF/PF are commensurate with the risks identified). Countries continue to experience challenges in developing and maintaining an up to date and proper understanding of these risks. The IMF has developed a rigorous methodology and tools to conduct a risk assessment and provides technical assistance (TA) to help countries undertake this exercise and use its findings to inform their AML/CFT policies and better allocate resources to target highest priority ML/TF risks. In recent years, IMF staff strengthened tools for NRA technical assistance and developed more specialized modules covering specific types of risk assessment (e.g. to assess the ML/TF risks related to legal persons and legal arrangements, NPOs and VAs and VASPs).

The course aims to provide Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs)[1], AML/CFT supervisory authorities, investigators, prosecutors, and other members of competent authorities with information on the methodology, process, and tools to assess ML/TF/PF risks and best practices in this regard.

[1] The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog. The inter-governmental body sets international standards that aim to prevent these illegal activities and the harm they cause to society. As a policy-making body, the FATF works to generate the necessary political will to bring about national legislative and regulatory reforms in these areas.

[2] Countries, competent authorities and financial institutions, are expected to identify, assess and understand the ML/TF risks to which they are exposed and take AML/CFT measures commensurate to those risks in order to mitigate them effectively.

[1] Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) serve as national centres for the receipt and analysis of suspicious transaction reports and relevant money laundering information, associated predicate offences, and terrorist financing. FIUs are also responsible for disseminating analysis results.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Key risk assessment requirements as per the FATF Recommendations.
• Identify where and how to start a risk assessment.
• Identify frequent challenges facing countries in developing and maintaining a proper risk understanding.
• Data collection and dealing with lack of information.
• Assess the risks, threats and vulnerabilities in the context of ML/TF/PF risk assessments.
• Developing proper mitigation policies that target the identified risks.

Target Audience: Mid-level to senior officials from central banks, ministries of finance, and other governmental agencies tasked with the design and execution of gender-responsive policies.

Qualifications: Applications from officials currently engaged in gender-responsive policy formulation and implementation, or those with a past background in these areas, will be given preference. All participants are expected to have a degree in economics or social sciences, or equivalent experience, and to be proficient in the use of Microsoft Excel.

Language: The course is conducted in English only. Due to the technical nature of the course, English proficiency is a prerequisite.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Institute for Capacity Development, highlights the macroeconomic implications of gender inequality and provides an overview of policy measures to help empower women. The training discusses trends over time and across countries in gender inequality, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, stresses the importance of closing gender gaps for inclusive and sustainable growth, and analyzes policy options in the fiscal, labor, financial, and legal areas to help address gender inequality. The delivery emphasizes on active learning through a mix of lectures, workshops, facilitated break-out sessions, homework assignments, and presentations by participants. The goal is to help participants apply the knowledge and skills they will acquire to analyze the key gender-related challenges in their own country and formulate prioritized reform programs.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Understand the links between gender equality and macroeconomics, including in terms of growth, inclusiveness, diversification, and sustainability.
• Use key sources of gender-disaggregated data and relevant toolkits to assess countries’ progress towards gender equality, including how this has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact of gender inequality on macroeconomic performance.
• Discuss key policies and measures to address gender inequality, including gender budgeting practices.
• Formulate prioritized reform programs to address gender inequality in their own country.

Target Audience: TBD

Qualifications: TBD

Language: TBD

Course Description: TBD

Course Objectives: TBD

Target Audience: Government officials involved in the development of macro-econometric models for forecasting, analysis, and implementation of macroeconomic policy.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have an advanced degree in economics, or equivalent experience, and background in econometrics. They should also be comfortable using EViews for econometric applications. It is strongly recommended for applicants to have completed the online Macroeconometric Forecasting (MFx) course.

Language: The course is conducted in English only. Due to the technical nature of the course, English proficiency is a prerequisite.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Institute for Capacity Development, gives government officials a rigorous foundation estimating of macro-econometric models and their application for nowcasting, forecasting, and policy analysis in central banks, ministries, and public research institutions. The course examines univariate and multivariate econometric time series models, state-space models, and nowcasting techniques such as BRIDGE, MIDAS, and UMIDAS models. Each topic includes a lecture discussing the underlying theory and a workshop with EViews applications. Participants work in groups on hands-on estimation and forecasting exercises.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Identify the foundations, characteristics, and limitations for several econometric model specifications.
• Use EViews software to apply modeling techniques that enhance their institutions’ policy analysis and forecasting capabilities.
• Apply the techniques learned to country cases from their region to forecast and analyze a policy issue.
• Apply appropriate tools available in the EViews econometric package to their work or research and that of other countries.

Target Audience: Government officials in line ministries or agencies in charge of SME and entrepreneurship policies, social protection, fiscal policy. Representatives from private sector organisations with an important SME constituency are also welcome to apply. 

Qualifications: Participants should be in charge of the design, implementation, and evaluation of policies in the areas of SME and entrepreneurship, social protection systems, fiscal policy, aiming to facilitate business and labour formalization.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: The course is delivered by a team of OECD and international experts. The initial sections of the course will provide the necessary elements to analyze and understand the root causes of the informal economy and its impact on the overall economy and society. They will include the presentation of definitions of informal businesses and informal labor and methodologies for measuring the informal economy. The course will then discuss best practice policy for labor and business formalization, covering policies on business regulation, taxation, labor market and social protection, and innovate mechanisms, such as leveraging on the social economy to promote formalization. Country studies of best practices for the formalization of employment and micro and small enterprises will be presented. 

Course Objectives: Upon completion of the course, participants should be able to:

• Present the practices and experience of their respective institutions and learn from peers.
• Gain knowledge of existing best practice policies to address informality with multidimensional strategies.
• Learn about available data to assess the extent of the informal economy in their respective countries.
• Understand the linkages between business regulation, social protection, taxation and innovative approaches for business creation and growth to encourage formalisation.
• Expand their professional networks.

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to Ms. Mariarosa Lunati (Mariarosa.Lunati@oecd.org) and Mr. Roger Forés (Roger.Fores@oecd.org)

Target Audience: Executives and senior managers responsible for strategic planning and overseeing IT development.

Qualifications: Applicants are expected to have experience in strategic management or IT department management.

Language: The course will be conducted in English, with simultaneous interpretation provided in Arabic. 

Course Description: This course will be led by experts from the International Monetary Fund's Fiscal Affairs Department and METAC. Upon completion, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the following topics:

• The Strategic Importance of AI
• Data-Driven Decision Making
• Successful Applications of AI and Data Analytics in Leading Organizations
• Machine Learning Fundamentals for Executives
• Risk Management and Compliance
• Driving Innovation through AI
• Change Management and Leadership in AI Adoption
• Ethics, Governance, and Social Responsibility

Course Objectives: The primary objective of this course is to enhance the knowledge and understanding of senior managers regarding the applications of AI within the customs environment, including its implementation and the resources required for successful adoption.

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to Mr. Andrew Allan, METAC Customs Administration Advisor, at aallan@imf.org

Target Audience: Compilers of national accounts statistics employed by agencies responsible for official national accounts data.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in economics or statistics; or equivalent experience.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Statistics Department, is intended to broaden participants’ understanding on the scope, role and strategic issues associated with GDP rebasing, requirements for rebasing, backcasting methods of GDP series, and upcoming updates of 2025 SNA.

The course covers the following topics:

• Overview of GDP rebasing.
• Set of national accounts to be compiled.
• Source data (statistical and administrative).
• Linking business accounts and administrative data with national accounts
• Choice of the base year.
• Supply and Use Tables as a consistency framework.
• GDP backcasting and extrapolation.
• Updates on the 2025 SNA.
• Dissemination and advocacy.
• Practical examples on GDP rebasing and backcasting.

Training methods include a balanced mix of lectures and hands-on exercises. Emphasis is also placed on sharing country experiences among the participants.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Identify the steps to prepare the GDP rebasing and develop a rebase work plan,
• Identify and acquire data sources,
• Understand the backcasting methods
• Identify the upcoming changes in the 2025 SNA.

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to Ms. Elirjeta Pepaj, METAC Real Sector Statistics Advisor at EPepaj@imf.org

Target Audience: Mid-level to senior officials working on financial supervision or financial stability in central banks or other supervisory authorities.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have experience with stress testing, Basel regulations, and financial stability analysis.

Language: The course is conducted in English only. Due to the technical nature of the course, English proficiency is a prerequisite.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Monetary and Capital Markets Department (MCM), discusses recent developments in stress testing for banks, insurance companies and mutual funds. The course is also adapted to regional specificities, such as the one offered for the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) region includes analysis of Islamic finance. This course gives participants the opportunity to learn and apply new tools used or created by MCM for purposes of stress testing and systemic risk analysis. New, emerging topics in stress testing, such as feedback loops between real and financial sectors, asset fire-sales, climate, systemwide liquidity and fintech related risks are also covered. Some of the tools are integral to the Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) and technical assistance missions. Moreover, the course allows participants to share their experiences on stress testing methodologies and financial stability analysis. In many cases, guest speakers from industry are also invited to discuss specific topics. The course reviews stress testing objectives, methodologies, techniques, and good practices. Much of the course consists of hands-on modules that expose participants to the entire stress testing cycle: from entering data and estimating macro-financial models to designing scenarios, selecting assumptions, running tests, integrating feedback loops between financial and real sectors, communicating the results, and incorporating them in policy decision making, for example, by informing the calibration of capital and liquidity buffers.

Throughout the course, the focus is on the scenario design, solvency and liquidity elements of the stress testing exercise and their interactions. The course concludes a roundtable discussion where participants exchange knowledge and share country experiences.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of the course, participants should be able to:

• Identify the main sources of financial stability risk.
• Summarize the principles for developing macro-financial stress scenarios.
• Link changes in macroeconomic and financial variables with financial results and measure their relative impact.
• Assess the resilience of individual entities and the financial system to solvency and liquidity stress.
• Develop and incorporate models that are capturing second round effects or interactions between different risk types.

Target Audience: Officials from ministries of finance, economy, planning and central banks who advise on or help design and implement macroeconomic and financial policies.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in economics or equivalent experience and be proficient in the use of spreadsheets. It is strongly recommended that applicants have completed the online Financial Programming and Policies, Part 1: Macroeconomic Accounts and Analysis (FPP.1x) course or the online Financial Programming and Analysis, Part 2: Program Design (FPP.2x) course.

Language: The course is conducted in Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Institute for Capacity Development jointly with the Arab Monetary Fund, explains how to diagnose macroeconomic imbalances and correct them through a coordinated set of adjustment policies. It covers the principal features of the four main macroeconomic sectors (real, fiscal, external, and monetary) and their interlinkages, highlighting both accounting and behavioral relationships and using data from a country case study.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Create consistent macroeconomic baseline projections on the assumption that policies do not change, while respecting accounting and behavioral links among economic variables.
• Analyze the baseline macroeconomic scenario, to understand economic and financial developments, and diagnose macroeconomic imbalances.
• Identify economic vulnerabilities and risks in the baseline scenario and articulate how policy measures address them.
• Prepare an adjustment scenario that reflects the policy measures and their macroeconomic impact.
• Identify further policy goals and measures that will be incorporated into a medium-term framework.

Target Audience: Central bank officials serving on governance and oversight bodies, and/ or senior central bank staff responsible for accounting, financial reporting, auditing, risk management, internal control, legal, or reserve management operations.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a university or postgraduate degree in accounting, business, economics, finance, or law, or have earned professional certifications in auditing (chartered or certified public accountants, internal auditors, information systems auditors) or finance (certified financial analysts).

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Finance and Legal Departments, is designed to give central bank officials interactive exposure to the IMF safeguards assessment methodology. It has a special focus on central bank governance and highlights the importance of independent oversight, transparency, and accountability for improving financial safeguards. It also provides a forum for central bank staff to exchange views on their experiences in reinforcing safeguards and governance frameworks and dealing with emerging issues. The course incorporates interactive lectures, discussions, and case studies addressing crucial assessment areas, especially external and internal audit mechanisms, financial reporting, the system of internal controls, management of international reserves, and reporting of monetary data to the IMF. The course also reviews the concepts underlying autonomy and good governance in central bank legislation.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Assess the strengths and vulnerabilities of their central banks’ safeguards and governance frameworks.
• Identify specific steps to improve financial safeguards.
• Use leading practices for central banks in the areas of good governance, central bank autonomy, accountability, and transparency.
• Describe and explain the requirements of the IMF safeguards policy and the importance of implementing safeguards recommendations.

Target Audience: Technical staff and policy makers working for Ministries of Finance, Ministries of Planning and possibly from line Ministries like Social Insurance. Development, Health and Education.

Qualifications: Knowledge of fiscal and social policy, poverty and inequality measurement, and ideally (but not strictly necessary) use of statistical packages for household survey microdata (in particular, Stata or R).

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: The course will provide an overview and practical applications of fiscal incidence based on the Commitment to Equity (CEQ) methodology. The CEQ Assessment relies on comprehensive fiscal incidence analysis designed to assess how taxation and public expenditures affect income inequality, poverty, and different socioeconomic groups. In particular, the CEQ Assessment is designed to address the following four questions: How much income redistribution and poverty reduction is being accomplished through fiscal policy? How equalizing and pro-poor are specific taxes and government spending? How effective are taxes and government spending in reducing inequality and poverty? What is the impact of fiscal reforms that change the size and/or progressivity of a particular tax or benefit?  The CEQ Assessment can be used to guide policymakers in terms of what could be done to increase redistribution and poverty reduction through changes in taxation and spending in specific countries. The CEQ Assessment can also be used to assess the distributive, and poverty impacts of fiscal policy reforms.

Course Objectives: Understand how different fiscal interventions (direct taxes, direct transfers, indirect taxes, indirect transfers, public expenditure in health and education, pensions, etc.) affect poverty and inequality in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa (and compare with other regions of the World).

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to Mr. Alan Fuchs at afuchs@worldbank.org and Mr. Nguyen Trang Van at tnguyen16@worldbank.org.

Target Audience: Mid-level to senior officials in central banks and other government agencies dealing with regulation of the financial sector. 

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have an advanced degree in economics or finance or equivalent work experience. 

Language: This course, presented by the Institute for Capacity Development jointly with Bank Al Maghrib, is designed to give participants a foundation in central bank digital currencies. In this course, we will assess the business case for CBDC adoption from the perspective of users and central banks. After some motivations and introductory remarks on digitalization, the course will discuss the different forms of CBDCs, and present considerations for CBDC design and a conceptual framework. The course will present the benefits, costs and risks related to CBDCs. In addition, CBDCs will be studied in terms of their implications for financial stability and bank intermediation, the monetary policy transmission, financial integrity, and financial inclusion. Some time will be devoted to regulatory considerations, both at the national and international level. Case studies will allow participants to reflect on and discuss country experiences and test their understanding of how and why some strategies have been successful while some countries have chosen not to proceed with the implementation of CBDCs. 

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Explain the economic rationale for the use of CBDCs compared to other payment instruments.
• Use the framework to think about the design and implementation of CBDCs.
• Use the concepts introduced in the course to assess the benefits and costs of CBDCs.
• Identify threats to financial stability and various risks based on country case studies.
• Extract lessons from country pilots to try to prevent design pitfalls. 

Target Audience: All government officials are welcome to register. This course is particularly useful for officials from ministries of finance, debt agencies, central banks, and other government agencies responsible for implementing macroeconomic and debt policies.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in economics or equivalent work experience and some familiarity with using spreadsheets.

Language: The course will be conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Institute for Capacity Development, introduces the easy-to-use Excel-based Public Debt Dynamics Tool (DDT) and explains how to use this tool for projecting the stock of public debt for the baseline (most likely) and alternative scenarios, including natural-disaster scenarios and fan charts. The DDT is also used to estimate paths of fiscal adjustments consistent with a user-defined target level of debt.

Participants are given preliminary data and are expected to present an analysis of the public debt situation in their country (or the country of their choice) at the end of the course.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Project public debt.
• Identify the main drivers of public debt changes.
• Compute measures of fiscal adjustments consistent with a public debt target.
• Conduct a stress test to public debt projections, including through the use of fan charts.
• Identify the main components of a debt sustainability analysis to assess the risk of debt distress.

Target Audience: Officials responsible for compiling short-term or monthly economic indicators in central banks and statistical offices. 

Qualifications: Participants should have a degree in economics, statistics or equivalent experience. 

Language: The course will be conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Statistics Department, discusses identification and assessment of elementary indicators and the techniques for combining them into a single overall index of economic activity to track trends in the economy. Flash estimates or indexes of economic activity bring together a range of specific economic elementary indicators to give timely overall measures of economic activity. Such measures give useful information to policy makers complementing the annual and quarterly GDP estimates (which are more comprehensive but usually only available after substantial lags) and provide a more comprehensive picture than a set of individual monthly and quarterly indicators (which are up-to-the-minute but reflect just a portion of the total economy). 

This course is oriented toward actual or potential compilers of short-term indicators in central banks and statistical offices as well as those involved in data collection of monthly indicators. Participants are expected to work with their own available monthly and quarterly time series during the course. These indicators will be used in the practical session to develop experimental estimates. 

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:  

• Explain the nature and potential uses of high frequency statistics on economic activity as well as their relation and consistency within the system of national accounts. 
• Develop a simple framework to compile an index of economic activity, from collection of source data to implementation of simple statistical methods and index compilation techniques. 
• Exploit useful short-term information contained in the IEA by applying some analytical tools, deriving tables, and statistical procedures.

Target Audience: Government officials involved in WTO negotiation matters.

Qualifications: More precise information will be provided closer to the course date and will also be posted on the CEF website.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: WTO courses, presented by experienced staff, cover specific issues related to WTO agreements. They cover the legal and economic foundations of WTO rules, explain legal and institutional provisions of specific WTO agreements and rules, explore how the WTO agreements affect trade-related economic policies, and how the WTO serves in resolving trade disputes. 

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to Mr. Samer Seif El-Yazal at: samer.seif@wto.org

Target Audience: TBD

Qualifications: TBD

Language: TBD

Course Description: TBD

Course Objectives: TBD

Target Audience: This course is designed for policymakers and procurement practitioners who are interested to learn and improve the application of rated criteria and LCC throughout the investment projects and explore innovative ways of ensuring better VFM in procurement of infrastructure projects.  

Qualifications: Participants will be senior level representatives, policy makers and procurement practitioners who are playing a decision-making role in the design, implementation, oversight and/or evaluation of national procurement reforms, laws, policies, strategies and/or programs.  Participants must meet the following criteria: (i) expertise in implementation of public procurement; and (ii) ability to apply the learning and deliver training.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic. 

Course Description: The World Bank Procurement Framework encourages use of Rated Criteria to combine quality and cost in the use of life-cycle costing (LCC) to obtain value-for-money (VfM). By integrating price and life cycle cost calculations, rated criteria offer a more accurate evaluation of value, emphasizing quality, sustainability, and other essential factors. This method encourages highly qualified bidders by providing them with greater flexibility to deliver customized and innovative solutions.

This course will equip participants from MENA and Arab countries with a broad understanding of advanced procurement concepts and the practical application of Rated Criteria and life cycle costing.:

The main topic of the technical training will focus on:

• Life-Cycle key concepts and elements,
• Applying LCC in the World Bank funded infrastructure projects,
• Using LCC as a factor in the economic evaluation of bids,
• Overview and the evaluation approach using Rated Criteria, and
• Practical application of Rated Criteria during the evaluation process and contract execution.

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to: Yash Gupta, Lead Procurement Specialist at ygupta@worldbank.org, and Ms. Guranda Elashvili, Procurement Specialist at gelashvi@worldbank.org. 

Target Audience: Mid-level to senior officials involved in economic and strategic planning, monitoring and evaluating strategies and policies to tackle poverty and inequality, addressing climate change, and promoting job creation.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in economics or social sciences or equivalent experience. It is recommended that applicants complete the online Inclusive Growth (IGx) course, or any subset of modules of the IGx online course (e.g. Inclusive Growth—Concepts and Indicators (IGx-CI), Inclusive Growth—Fiscal Policy (IGx-FP), Inclusive Growth Governance (IGx-GOV), Inclusive Growth—Climate Change (IGx-CC), and Inclusive Growth—Labor Markets, Gender, and Technology (IGx-LMGT)).

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic. 

Course Description: This course, which is presented by the Institute for Capacity Development (ICD), is designed to increase participants’ understanding of inclusive growth and give them analytical and operational tools—such as the Inclusive Growth Dashboard—to evaluate, measure, and monitor how macroeconomic policies can affect growth, poverty, inequality, and job creation. It also covers the challenges to inclusion from longer-term structural trends such as demographics and climate change. Lectures introduce the basic concepts of inclusive growth, with a special focus on long-term sustainability, while workshops offer participants an opportunity to apply the concepts and think about the design of inclusive growth strategies, drawing from country case studies.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Interpret measures of poverty and inequality.
• Analyze the role of macroeconomic policies in supporting growth, tackling inequality, and reducing poverty.
• Identify obstacles to inclusive growth and prioritize reforms.
• Design an inclusive growth strategy for their own country.

Target Audience: Mid-level to senior officials are welcome to register. The course is particularly useful for officials from central banks, ministries of finance, and other government agencies tasked with the design and execution of policies related to macroeconomics and climate change issues.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have an advanced degree in economics or equivalent experience and be proficient in the use of Microsoft Excel. It is recommended that applicants first complete the online Macroeconomics of Climate Change: Science, Economics, and Policies (MCCx-SEP) course.

Language: The course is conducted in English only. Due to the technical nature of the course, English proficiency is a prerequisite.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Institute for Capacity Development jointly with the Arab Monetary Fund, provides an overview of the science and economic costs of climate change, discusses policy options for adaptation and mitigation (including pricing carbon emissions and removing of fossil fuel subsidies), and analyzes challenges and opportunities related to transitioning to greener economic models.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Understand the costs of climate change.
• Design comprehensive strategies for implementing mitigation commitments and investment in the net-zero transition.
• Work with climate data to help analyze the macroeconomic impact of climate change issues.

Target Audience: Mid- to senior-level officials, including lawyers and legal advisors, from finance ministries, treasury departments, debt management offices, cash management units, and central banks.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in law, economics or finance, or equivalent experience, as well as at least five years of working experience in the relevant area of public sector.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic. 

Course Description: This course, presented jointly by the Legal Department and the Monetary and Capital Markets Department, aims to familiarize participants with sound legal frameworks and institutional and operational arrangements for sovereigns in managing their public debt and contingent liabilities. The course focuses on the importance of effective structures and legal frameworks, that supports the formulation and implementation of sound debt management policies and practices, governance mechanisms and enhanced debt transparency.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should understand the importance of an effective legal framework and institutional and operational arrangements that support sound public debt management. In particular, participants should be able to:

• Describe the roles and responsibilities of government institutions in charge of debt management and the role of central banks as fiscal agents.
• Analyze the different forms in the design of debt management offices and the organizational structure required for debt management operations.
• Identify the key components of a sound public debt management legal and operational framework, including public debt management objectives, scope of public debt, authority, purposes and constraints to borrow, borrowing by public entities, contingent liabilities, monitoring, accountability arrangements and sanctions regime.
• Describe the legal mechanisms for coordination between public debt management and fiscal, monetary and financial policy frameworks and operations.
• Describe the entities responsible for public debt transparency and formulate recommendations on how to strengthen the legal and institutional frameworks to enhance disclosure of public debt data and debt management operations.

Target Audience: Officials whose main responsibility is compilating and disseminating fiscal statistics. 

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in economics, public financial management or statistics, or an equivalent experience. 

Language: The course will be conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This This course, presented by the Statistics Department, focuses on both the conceptual framework of government finance statistics (GFS) as presented in the IMF’s Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014 (GFSM 2014) and on practical aspects of data compilation. Basic concepts, accounting principles, and detailed classifications are dealt with in the context of the GFSM 2014 methodology, which is harmonized with the System of National Accounts (SNA 2008). The course examines GFS coverage and accounting rules (including accrual accounting), valuation, classification, debt, balance sheets, and the sources and methods used for compiling the statistics. It also deals with reporting data to the IMF. Central to the course is a series of case studies.  

Course Objectives: Upon completion of the course, participants should be able to: 

• Explain the basic concepts, definitions, and accounting principles in the integrated GFS framework. 
• Classify basic government flows and stock positions according to GFSM 2014 and compile the relevant GFS statements and tables.  
• ·Apply general principles to classify an entity in the public sector and in relevant subsectors, such as the general government and public corporations. 

Target Audience: Mid- to senior-level officials working in the payment, legal, technology/innovation, monetary policy, and financial stability departments at the central bank or in positions with similar responsibilities who are, or will be, interacting with work on central bank digital currencies in their jurisdiction or in international settings.

Qualifications: Participants should have a basic understanding of economics alongside direct experience in the operations, policymaking, and/or oversight in one or more of the following areas: payments, legal, technology/innovation, monetary policy, and financial stability.

Language: The course will be conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Monetary and Capital Markets Department (MCM), provides a comprehensive overview of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). It aims to be interactive, using a combination of lectures, case study simulations, and group discussions. The lectures will cover initial considerations for CBDC including its positioning with existing payment systems; project management for CBDC research and development (R&D); cybersecurity risks; and macro-financial implications such as monetary policy transmission, monetary operations, as well as financial stability. The lectures will also explore factors influencing CBDC adoption, data use/privacy protection, and cross-border arrangements for CBDC, providing a comprehensive overview of this evolving field.

The course will draw from insights from the IMF's CBDC virtual Handbook chapters, an online resource for policymakers and experts in central banks and ministries of finance, serving as the foundation for the IMF's engagements with country authorities and stakeholders. The Handbook aims to collect and share knowledge, lessons, empirical findings, and frameworks to address policymakers’ most frequently asked questions on CBDC.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of the course, participants should be able to:

• Understand the fundamental concepts and mechanics of CBDC operations from an economic perspective
• Understand cybersecurity risks, macro-financial implications, adoption factors, data use/privacy protection, and cross-border arrangements for CBDC use.
• Gain insights into global CBDC developments and how CBDC compares with other money and payment innovations.
• Learn about project management and R&D best practices for CBDC initiatives and emphasize dynamic decision-making frameworks.

Target Audience: TBD

Qualifications: TBD

Language: TBD

Course Description: TBD

Course Objectives: TBD

Target Audience: Mid-level to senior officials from central banks, ministries of finance, and other government agencies tasked with the design and execution of policies in resource-rich countries (RRCs).

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have an advanced degree in economics or equivalent experience and be proficient in the use of Microsoft Excel. It is recommended that applicants first complete the online Macroeconomic Management in Resource-Rich Countries (MRCx) course.

Language: The course will be conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Institute for Capacity Development, discusses macroeconomic policy issues and challenges faced by RRCs. The course provides participants with an understanding of the macroeconomics of growth and diversification, fiscal policy management, macroeconomic policy coordination, and public-sector asset management in RRCs. The course incorporates lectures, hands-on workshops, debates, and case studies.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Analyze economic performance in resource-rich countries, including in terms of growth, inclusiveness, diversification, and sustainability.
• Design appropriate fiscal frameworks, applying suitable fiscal benchmarks to determine whether to consume, save, and/or invest the proceeds from the sale of natural resources.
• Identify the appropriate macroeconomic policy responses to commodity price shocks.
• Design policies to promote transparency in the management of natural resources, including in terms of the appropriate institutional structures for sovereign wealth funds.

Target Audience: Mid-level government officials from central banks, financial services supervisors and regulators and other agencies involved in financial sector statistics. 

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in economics/finance or equivalent experience.

Language: The course will be conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: The five-day course, delivered by the IMF’s Statistics Department in cooperation with the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Mongolia Regional Capacity Development Center, will focus on how digitalization is impacting financial sector statistics. The digital revolution in finance is not just a technological shift, but a fundamental transformation of the financial landscape, reshaping how financial services are delivered, consumed, and managed. While offering immense opportunities for efficiency and inclusion, digitalization presents a significant challenge for traditional financial sector statistics: how do we accurately capture and reflect these rapidly evolving dynamics? For decades, financial sector statistics have relied on established methodologies and reporting frameworks built around the activities of traditional financial institutions like banks and insurance companies. With the rise of fintech companies, mobile payments, peer-to-peer lending platforms, digital currencies, and crypto assets, it is essential that statistical methodological guidance underlying financial sector statistics as well as data collection accurately capture these emerging instruments and market participants, crucial for maintaining the stability and effectiveness of the financial system. This workshop will focus on how to reflect digitalization in financial sector statistics, discuss the emerging methodologies and underscore the collaborative effort between macroeconomic statisticians, regulators, policymakers, and the private sector to explore non-traditional data sources. Participants are expected to actively contribute to presentations on country practices and exercises. Peer learning will be an essential element of the workshop. 

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Understand the sectoring of new financial players to grasp their business models and data practices.
• Define and classify new financial products.
• Examine the impact of new financial players and instruments on key financial aggregates.
• Identify data sources and collection methods to capture the digital instruments and players into existing statistical frameworks.
• Explore non-traditional data sources or big data to improve data collection.
• Promote institutional collaboration and harmonization within and cross-border to establish consistent standards and facilitate the comparability of data across jurisdictions.

Target Audience: Managers from Ministries of Finance and Treasuries, as well as other stakeholders involved in implementing public financial management digital solutions. 

Qualifications: Candidates should have experience and current job responsibilities directly related to the implementation of digital solutions in public financial management.

Language: The course will be conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: The course offers participants the opportunity to learn how digital technologies can enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of Public Financial Management (PFM) processes and enable a leap to advanced stages of PFM digitalization to maximize gains. The workshop will also highlight the critical role of fiscal data in improving PFM outcomes and approaches to improve fiscal data quality. By the end of the workshop, participants will collaborate to develop use cases for implementing advanced digital technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI). 

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to: 

• Identify issues and challenges in PFM digitalization. 

• Develop high-level strategies to strengthen the enabling environment for PFM digitalization. 

• Appreciate the role of fiscal data governance in improving fiscal data quality. 

• Create use cases for the adoption of digital technologies like AI in PFM digital solutions. 

Target Audience: Senior officials from ministries of finance and tax administrations whose responsibilities include advising ministers on tax policy issues or managing tax administration, or officials from central banks working in areas related to the design of tax system. Their duties are likely to include policy analysis and evaluation; drafting policy memos; drafting tax laws; and in tax administration managing organizational issues, strategic planning, information technology, and other major operational functions.

Qualifications: Participants involved in policy areas are expected to have a degree in economics, law, or a related field, and experience in producing analytical reports. Participants involved in tax administration areas are expected to be senior managers from the top two levels of their agency.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This This course, presented by the IMF Fiscal Affairs Department, is designed to broaden participants’ knowledge of the main difficulties for government in designing, administrating, and monitoring of a modern tax system. It briefly outlines the theoretical underpinnings of tax policymaking and discusses practice and implementation with an emphasis on the region the course is directed to. Participants will be encouraged to share their experiences and develop strategies to improve their tax systems and how they are administered. Through lectures and workshops, the course will:

• Provide an overview of policy design principles and their implications for tax administration—establishing linkages between tax policy and administration and how each function feeds into the other.
• Review design issues for major taxes that form modern tax systems (e.g., broad-based consumption and income taxes, environmental taxes, and small business tax regimes), and discuss approaches to tax policy making in specific economic settings, such as resource-rich countries and fragile and conflict-affected countries.
• Review tax administration management and governance issues, drawing on experiences within and beyond the region.
• Discuss tax compliance challenges across taxpayer segments and tax types, and risk mitigating methodologies.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Summarize key tax policy design principles and their implications for tax administrations, such as how to link tax policy and tax administration; how each function feeds into the other; and how design principles may differ in different economic settings.
• Identify the core elements of the major taxes in modern tax systems, such as broad-based consumption and income taxes or small business tax regimes.
• Recognize the impact and consequences of specific policies usually in place in some countries (reduced rates, exemption, tax incentives, delay in refund tax credits such as VAT, restrictions to input tax deductions in the VAT or expenses in the CIT, etc.).
• Understand current issues regarding international taxation (the on-going international corporate tax reform, VAT on e-commerce, etc.).
• Describe and analyze the organization of tax administrations, their principal functions, and common barriers to their reform.
• Understand tax administration good practices, including those related to tax enforcement.
• Identify the main tax compliance risks and understand how to address them.

Target Audience: Junior and middle-level officials from ministries of finance, central banks, and other interested public institutions.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have an advanced degree in economics or equivalent experience, a basic understanding of time-series econometrics and be comfortable using EViews (econometric software package). It is strongly recommended that applicants have completed a few general macroeconomic courses, such as Macroeconomic Forecasting and Analysis (MFA), Macroeconomic Diagnostic (MDS), either face-to-face or online.

or online.Language: The course is conducted in English only. Due to the technical nature of the course, English proficiency is a prerequisite.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Institute for Capacity Development jointly with Bank Al Maghrib, provides participants with cutting-edge nowcasting tools that familiarize them with the concepts and methods for incorporating high-frequency economic indicators into the forecasting process. The training is integrated with technical assistance on data compilation and dissemination. Each topic is complemented by hands-on workshops and assignments designed to illustrate the steps required to formulate a nowcasting model and generate a nowcast.

Course Objectives: Uponcompletion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Understand and demonstrate proficiency in the steps required to manage time-series data in EViews, estimate an OLS regression, and calculate its associated forecasts in EViews.
• Formulate several useful statistical procedures in EViews, including consolidation of time series from higher to lower frequencies; interpolation techniques; seasonal adjustment; and the use of leading indicators.
• Identify appropriate high-frequency indicators and non-traditional data useful for nowcasting macroeconomic variables and prepare them for use in a nowcasting exercise.
• Formulate and estimate nowcasting models using several approaches, such as Bridge, MIDAS, and U-MIDAS estimators, etc.
• Generate a nowcast from the base regression and consolidate competing forecasts using combination forecasts.
• Evaluate the accuracy of the nowcast using several forecasting performance indicators.
• Apply nowcasting tools to their own country data and interpret the nowcast appropriately in policymaking settings.

Target Audience: Mid-level to senior officials at ministries of finance, other ministries, and government agencies involved in setting fuel prices or fuel subsidy policy.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in economics or a related field. Proficiency in Microsoft Excel is desirable.

Language: The coursewill be conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Fiscal Affairs Department, explores recent developments in subsidy spending on fuel products, its macroeconomic impact, and its environmental and social implications. Building on country-specific case studies, the course highlights key elements of successful reforms, such as measures to protect low-income groups adversely affected by reduced subsidies. It also disseminates tools for measuring subsidies, assessing their distributional impact, and designing alternative fuel pricing mechanisms that can help smooth the transmission of international fuel price changes to domestic prices while protecting the budget. Participants may be asked to make presentations on their own country’s experience in setting fuel prices and reforming subsidies. 

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Explain the different rationales for energy subsidies and how subsidies are measured.
• Describe the drawbacks of energy subsidies.
• Identify possible barriers to the reform of fuel subsidies.
• Design an effective reform strategy drawing on lessons from the experiences of other countries.
• Use tailored tools to measure fuel subsidies and estimate the impact of  fuel subsidy reform on household welfare,  to inform the design of mitigating measures and guide the selection of alternative fuel pricing mechanisms.

Target Audience: Decision makers from the Ministries of Finance and Health, and public health insurance authorities.

Qualifications: Exposure to health financing concepts, public financial management, and provider payment reforms is an advantage, but not necessary, as this is an introductory-level course.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: The vision of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is that all people can access the quality health services they need, without being pushed into poverty due to high out-of-pocket payments (OOP). In recent years, the Middle East and North African region has experienced a stagnation in its service coverage indicators, coupled with a reduction in financial protection. As healthcare expenditures rise – driven by increasing demand for costly technologies, population ageing and associated rise of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) – households are increasingly bearing the costs, exposing them to catastrophic health expenditures. 

With some exceptions, health tends to receive relatively low priority in government spending in the region. Economic growth, typically the largest driver of increases in public health spending, was severely impacted by the COVID pandemic, and by 2023, the escalation of conflict in the region has further hindered economic recovery. With rising demand for services, and in the absence of large increases in public spending, improving the cost-efficiency of current health spending is critical.

Improving efficiency of spending requires, first and foremost, transitioning from a heavy reliance on out-of-pocket (OOP) payments to pre-financed public financing. Features of the labor market make it difficult to collect direct taxes, including contributions for health insurance and other social protection schemes. In addition, many countries in the region share key drivers of inefficiency: a hospital-centric service delivery model; weak governance for quality of care, an inadequate workforce, and low levels of population empowerment to hold systems accountable for delivering high-quality and affordable care.

To improve efficiency, several countries in the region have introduced or are expanding social health insurance schemes. These schemes could significantly contribute to increased efficiency of health spending if (i) fragmentation is reduced, (ii) uptake among the informal sector is increased, and (iii) implementation capacity for strategic purchasing, active cost management,  and quality control of services is strengthened. Reforms in Public Financial Management (PFM) systems and investments in data systems are required to enable such efficiency gains. Digital technologies present an opportunity to streamline processes, improve efficiency, and enhance the beneficiary experience.

Health Financing Fundamentals provides counterparts who have had little exposure to health financing in the past the opportunity to master key concepts – such as domestic resource mobilization, efficiency gains, health insurance -and policies and to gain skills to critically evaluate potential policy solutions for these key health financing challenges. By the end of this experiential, problem-solving-centered course, participants should have a firm grasp on the core tenets of health financing.

Target Audience: Mid-level to senior officials in central banks, regulatory agencies, supervisory authorities, ministries of finance, deposit insurance funds, and other agencies responsible for bank supervision, bank resolution, and the operation of their domestic financial safety net.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have experience in bank supervision, bank resolution policies or operations or depositor protection. 

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Monetary and Capital Markets Department, provides a comprehensive overview of the conceptual and operational issues related to the resolution of weak banks, either through restructuring or liquidation. Among the topics discussed during the course are:

• Identification and supervision of weak banks: common causes of banking problems and how to identify them as well as early intervention tools and supervisory approaches for dealing with weak banks;
• Bank resolution through restructuring and liquidation: institutional foundations of a financial safety net and inter-agency coordination; building blocks of effective resolution regimes (guided by the Financial Stability Board’s Key Attributes of Effective Resolution Regimes); recovery and resolution planning; and the role of deposit insurance and depositor preference.

            - Crisis containment: Liquidity support and government guarantees.

            - Operational preparedness: Initiation of resolution proceedings; resolution options for systemically important and non-systemic banks; cross-border resolution; initiatives to test operational preparedness; system-wide diagnostics and restructuring strategies; and policy considerations and instruments for public capital support.

            - Dealing with distressed assets: Market failures and policy reforms; approaches for resolving nonperforming loans—including supervisory policies, insolvency and debt enforcement, distressed asset markets and the role of asset management companies.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Explain the building blocks of crisis preparedness and management.
• Identify weak banks and devise strategies for addressing them.
• Pinpoint key design features of effective resolution regimes and options for enhancing operational preparedeness.
• Identify stabilization options in response to financial panic and design credible strategies for bank restructuring and resolution, both at an individual and system-wide level.
• Compare options for addressing distressed assets.

Target Audience: Junior to senior officials interested in understanding fiscal policy and its macroeconomic implications.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have completed undergraduate courses in macroeconomics or have equivalent experience and have a basic background in microeconomics and econometrics. It is strongly recommended that applicants have completed the Financial Programming and Policies (FPP) course. Familiarity with Microsoft Excel is essential, as many workshops are conducted in Excel.

Language: The course is conducted in Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Institute for Capacity Development jointly with the Arab Monetary Fund, provides an overview of the concepts, tools, and techniques used to analyze how fiscal policy can help ensure macroeconomic stability and sustainable long-term growth.

This hands-on course focuses on the core macro-fiscal topics essential for analyzing fiscal policy. The learning units include general empirical findings, Microsoft Excel-based workshops, case studies, and selected topics of regional interest. The FPA course integrates post-COVID data, recent research, and policy discussions by the Fund. Additionally, it includes an inclusive growth component, featuring new units on climate change and gender inequality. The course also features selected non-core lectures on energy subsidy reform and fiscal frameworks for resource-rich economies, as well as review sessions and participant presentations.

The course will appeal to officials seeking to deepen their understanding of how fiscal policy impacts the economy and to learn about the related analytical tools.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Use fiscal policy to achieve key government objectives: macro-stability, equity, efficiency, and sustainable long-term growth.
• Apply the acquired tools and techniques to assess the country’s fiscal stance, fiscal multipliers, and fiscal sustainability.
• Assess the key elements of tax and expenditure policy, including revenue mobilization and fiscal projection.

Target Audience: The course is specifically tailored to benefit senior government officials and policymakers, including director-level officials, senior policymakers, and technical practitioners from ministries, agencies, and organizations involved in social protection reforms and implementation across the MENA and GCC regions.

Qualifications: Specifically, participants are expected to have a strong understanding of their country’s social protection system, demonstrate a keen interest in learning from practices in other contexts, and proactively reflect on lessons and experiences that may be applicable to their country’s context.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Approach: The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is spearheading a range of Social Protection (SP) innovations, while facing persistent challenges. The Social Protection Design and Implementation Park (SP-DIP) is a training course designed to support MENA countries’ governments in enhancing their SP programs and strengthening their SP systems It draws on both regional and global knowledge, focusing on key reforms and best practices applicable to the local context of MENA and GCC Countries.

The SP-DIP fuses critical features of a “core course” and those of a “community of practice” to create a unique, dynamic learning experience geared towards policymakers and technical experts designing and leading the implementation of Social Protection (SP) reforms in their respective countries. This training provides its participants with technical knowledge on frontier issues in Social Protection, while incorporating participatory engagement modalities, including group exercise and country case studies showcasing success stories and experiences from select countries.

Over the five-day training course, participants will be involved in ways that make them both recipients of knowledge and sources of know-how for their peers. It is anticipated that participants will attend in person at the IMF-CEF’s Kuwait training/capacity-building center, while other nominated delegates will join via an online connection.

Course Description: Based on extensive regional and global courses designed and delivered by  World Bank experts around the world, the SP-DIP is a five-day, face-to-face training designed for 36 select government officials (the capacity of the IMF training center),  with the possibility for additional participants to join online to ensure wider outreach and learning across various MENA and GCC Countries. Specifically, the course will:

• Offer curated content based on regional and global practices.
• Feature experts and speakers from the World Bank, other development institutions, and governments (some in-person, others virtually).
• Cover thematic areas on key social protection components, including social assistance, social insurance, active labor market policies and programs, and social protection delivery systems.
• Facilitate knowledge exchange through interactions among participants from various countries, sharing their success stories and experiences.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Enhance social protection systems through robust and innovative practices.
• Provide a collaborative platform for informed discussions on both operational and strategic issues.
• Offer a vehicle for knowledge exchange and continuous learning, both regionally and globally.
• Provide practical examples and exercises to complement the theoretical content presented in the course.

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to Ugo Gentilini (Lead Economist, co-TTL) at ugentilini@worldbank.org , Ekaterina Pankratova (Senior Social Protection Specialist and GCC SPJ Program Coordinator, co-TTL) at epankratova@worldbank.org , and Dana Alrayess (Labor and Skills Specialist) at dalrayess@worldbank.org.

Target Audience: Junior to senior government officials involved in setting policy for the financial sector, particularly staff from central banks, financial regulators, and  other agencies responsible for micro- or macroprudential oversight.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have an advanced degree in economics or finance, or equivalent work experience, along with a basic understanding of econometrics and the ability to interpret econometric results. It is strongly recommended that applicants have completed the online Financial Market Analysis (FMAx) course and possess working knowledge of Microsoft Excel. Additionally, it is  preferable for participants to have completed the Financial Sector Surveillance (FSS) course, as understanding and assessing financial sector risks is crucial for designing mitigating policies.

Language: The course is conducted in English only. Due to the technicalnature of the course, English proficiency is a prerequisite.Language: The course is conducted in English only. Due to the technical nature of the course, English proficiency is a prerequisite.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Institute for Capacity Development, begins with an overview of financial risks and how they are transmitted within and between the financial system and the real sector. Participants will then examine the design and impact of financial sector policies to mitigate assessed vulnerabilities, starting with the rationale behind  micro-prudential and macroprudential policies. The interactions between macroeconomic and macro-prudential policies are also discussed. While the primary focus is on preventive strategies, the course also covers policies for managing situations of financial distress and contingency planning. Through a combination of lectures, case studies, and hands-on workshops, participants will have the opportunity to discuss and experiment with various policies to gauge their outcomes, intended and unintended. Those primarily interested in risk assessment are encouraged to take the Financial Sector Surveillance course, which primarily focuses on the quantitative aspect.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Identify the channels through which shocks are transmitted between the financial sector and the real economy, as well as within and between financial systems.
• Analyze relevant microprudential  and macroprudential policies, their likely interactions with other policies, and potential unintended consequences.
• Recommend macroprudential tools to prevent and mitigate systemic risks, while identifying possible implementation challenges.
• Assess the effectiveness of microprudential and macroprudential policies.

Target Audience: Government officials from line ministries and public entities responsible for public procurement, infrastructure policies and projects. 

Qualifications: Officials with relevant experience in procurement and/or infrastructure projects who wish to enhance their knowledge and decision-making capacity for enacting policies related to these areas.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: The goal of this four-day course is to deepen participants’ understanding and knowledge of the key principles, policies, tools, and instruments to enhance public procurement systems. These principles can be applied to all procurement projects, including infrastructure projects. This course also covers the entitre procurement cycle from needs analysis to contract completion.

The course is jointly conducted by the OECD and the IMF, combining theory with case studies based on the experiences of the OECD and MENA countries. Participants are also encouraged to share their own national experiences. Speakers have a deep and varied knowledge of the topic from the public and private sectors. The course is delivered in an informal and open manner to foster active participation and lively discussions.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Gain in-depth knowledge of how to enhance public procurement systems and implement efficient policies.
• Learn how to manage complex procurement and infrastructure projects covering the entire procurement cycle: the preparation phase, the implementation phase, and the termination phase.
• Aquire in-depth knowledge of governance and risk assessment in procurement areas that are most vulnerable, including large infrastructure projects.
• Be provided with multiple concrete examples of projects and how to maximize success and value for money; the examples are based on OECD and peer experiences; and
• Expand their professional networks and learn from other participants.

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to Ms. Kenza Khachani: Kenza.KHACHANI@oecd.org or Mr. Paulo Magina: Paulo.MAGINA@oecd.org

Target Audience: Junior to mid-level officials from emerging markets and low-income countries who are interested in understanding and analyzing the conduct of monetary policy and its interaction with the borader economy.  economy. 

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have an advanced degree in economics or equivalent experience and be comfortable using Microsoft Excel and Excel-based applications. It is strongly recommended that applicants have completed a few general macroeconomic courses, such as Financial Programming and Policies (FPP) and Macroeconomic Diagnostic (MDS), either face-to-face or online.

Language: The course is conducted in English only. Due to the technical nature of the course, English proficiency is a prerequisite.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Institute for Capacity Development jointly with the Arab Monetary Fund, provides a comprehensive overview of monetary policy regimes, monetary transmission mechanisms, and the role of monetary policy in macroeconomic stabilization. The course bridges the gap between theory, empirical evidence, and operational experience by illustrating the optimization problems and trade-offs involved in monetary policy decisions. The learning process progresses from lectures introducing the basic policy concepts to hands-on workshops with a special focus on practical policy challenges in emerging markets and developing economies. Case studies are used to reinforce participants’ understanding and to enable them to compare and assess policy responses to various shocks under different monetary policy regimes. The course recognizes the evolving nature of monetary frameworks and central bank mandates, with attention to environmental, social, and governance principles, as well as recent crises that have dramatically reshaped the operational landscape for central banks  . This goes beyond simple interest rate policies, with due consideration to Unconventional Monetary Policy and central bank communication. Recent evolution of central bank digital currencies and their implications for monetary policy transmission and operations are also discussed.  

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Analyze how monetary policy decisions are made under various regimes to achieve price stability and meet other objectives.
• Identify how these decisions are transmitted to the real economy.
• Evaluate how the economy and monetary policy respond to macroeconomic shocks under various monetary policy frameworks, demonstrated through a group presentation to their peers.  

Central bank practitioners should also be able to:

• Design a robust monetary policy framework.
• Implement policies that are consistent with the chosen framework. 

Target Audience: TBD

Qualifications: TBD

Language: TBD

Course Description: TBD

Course Objectives: TBD

Target Audience: This course is designed for senior-level government officials and technical representatives from national ministries in the MENA region who directly contribute to the Women Economic Opportunities agenda through their portfolios. It also targets representatives from other relevant multi-sectoral platforms (e.g. social funds, national women machineries) engaged in the gender and jobs agenda. Three representatives from each country will be selected.

Qualifications: Participants will be senior-level representatives from ministries of Labor, Economy, Industry, Social Protection, Planning or Women Affairs, who play a decision-making role in the design, implementation, oversight and/or evaluation of national projects, programs or policies related to women’s economic participation.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: Women’s participation in the labor market is increasingly becoming a priority for governments in MENA. This course is designed to provide participants with the knowledge and inspiration needed to strengthen country-level policies and programs that directly contribute to creating a more enabling environment for women’s economic participation.

The objective of this proposed course is twofold: (i) to provide participants with a thorough understanding of key challenges/constraints women face females in joining and remaining in the labor market in the MENA region; and (ii) to share knowledge/best practices on innovative interventions aimed at improving women’s economic opportunities. The course will cover several themes including: legislative reforms, social norms, childcare provision, women’s economic opportunities in the private sector, the future of work, including opportunities in the digital and green economy, women and climate change, as well as the use of gender data and evidence to inform evidence-based policy making.

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to the World Bank Task Team Leader responsible for the course: Ms. Nahla Zeitoun, Senior Social Protection Specialist nzeitoun@worldbank.org; Jonna Maria Lundvall, Senior Social Scientist jlundwall@worldbank.org; Souraya El Assiouty, Social Protection Specialist selassiouty@worldbank.org; and Angela Elzir Assy, Labor Market Specialist aelzir@worldbank.org

Target Audience: TBD

Qualifications: TBD

Language: TBD

Course Description: TBD.

Course Objectives: TBD