March 25, 2027 - March 26, 2027
Rome, Italy
Annual Central Bank Conference on Development Economics in MENAAP
The 6th Regional Research Network (RRN) Conference will bring together researchers and policymakers to explore how the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan (MENAAP) economies and beyond can navigate shifts in global trade, investment, technology, and strategic economic relations while building the foundations for durable growth.
Discussions will focus on strengthening competitiveness, advancing domestic reforms, supporting innovation and private sector development, and deepening regional integration.
The Steering Committee of the 6th RRN Conference invites submissions of high-quality papers, with the potential for publication in peer-reviewed journals, that address the conference themes and propose innovative solutions for policymakers. Priority topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Global Trade, Production Networks, and Economic Fragmentation
- Industrial Policy, Competitiveness, and Economic Diversification, and Resilience
- Structural Transformation, Labour Markets, and Inclusive Growth
- Migration, Labour Mobility, and Remittance Flows
- Artificial Intelligence, Digital Transformation, Innovation, Productivity, and Labor Markets
- Digital, Public, and Strategic Infrastructure
- Energy Markets, Geopolitics, and Energy Transition
- Financial Stability, Macroprudential Policies, Capital Markets Developments, and Financial Innovation
- Climate Risks, Adaptation, Transition Policies, and Sustainable Finance
- Monetary Policy Transmission, Inflation Expectations and Structural Change
Read submission details in the Call for Papers: Annual Central Bank Conference on Development Economics in MENAAP website.
The Regional Research Network (RRN) of Central Banks of the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (MENAAP) was launched in 2021 at the initiative of the World Bank’s Office of the Chief Economist for MENAAP. The three core objectives of the RRN are to increase the influence of scholarly research in decision-making; to promote economic and policy dialogue on the development challenges and opportunities faced by the economies of MENAAP; and to facilitate the exchange of experiences among the global academic community and Central Banks to help strengthen their research capabilities.
The Heads of research departments and/or Chief Economists of the Central Banks of Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, the Arab Republic of Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, West Bank and Gaza, Libya, Yemen, and Pakistan make up the Steering Committee of the RRN, which is chaired by the Chief Economist for MENAAP of the World Bank.
The RRN conference seeks to bring together academics, policy makers, and development practitioners to present and discuss recent scholarly work on economic and policy issues that are pressing for the region. The first RRN conference (at the end of 2021) explored the challenges for macroeconomic policy in uncertain times. The second conference (in early 2023) focused on inflation dynamics. The conference was held in hybrid format in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The third edition of the RRN conference explored the nexus between labor markets and structural transformation. The conference was held in hybrid format in Rabat, Morocco on September 14-15, 2023. The theme of the fourth edition of the conference was "Navigating the Challenges of Uncertainty, Climate Change and Debt". The conference was held in person in kuwait City, Kuwait on January 29-30, 2025. The fifth edition of the conference was co-hosted with the Central Bank of Oman, and was held in person in Muskat, Oman, on February 11 and 12, 2026. The conference theme was: Resilience and Reform in the Age of Disruption: Rethinking Policy, Technology, and Transformation in the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (MENAAP).
Visit the conference website to see the organizing committee list.
