Episode 7: Middle East and North Africa - one region, worlds apart

Nowhere in the world has the unevenness of the economic recovery been more pronounced and acute than across countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

Some Mena countries already struggling with economic problems before the pandemic. Others, including Egypt and GCC countries, were in the midst of huge structural reforms when the pandemic hit.

In a region already defined by many imbalances and economic contrasts, what does the post-Covid recovery look like?

Guests:

Jihad Azour, director of the Middle East and Central Asia department at the International Monetary Fund

Alia Moubayed, emerging markets economist

Narrated by: Mustafa Alrawi, The National’s assistant editor-in-chief