Resilience and Reform in the Age of Disruption: Rethinking Policy, Technology, and Transformation in MENAAP
Submission deadline: | September 20, 2025 |
Submission email: | maprrn@worldbank.org |
Notification of
acceptance: | October 30, 2025 |
Conference dates: | February 11-12, 2026 |
Conference location:
Keynote speakers: | Muscat, Oman
Meredith Crowley, Professor of Economics and Deputy Chair of the Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge; Marina Garassino, Professor of Medicine, University of Chicago; Indermit Gill, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, World Bank; Beata Javorcik, Chief Economist, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD); Danny Quah, Professor of Economics, The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore; Pietro Veronesi, Deputy Dean for Faculty and Sherman and Vivian Chao Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business. |
Opening remarks: | H.E. Ahmed bin Jaafar bin Salim Al-Musalmi, Governor, Central Bank of Oman and Ousmane Dione, Regional Vice President, World Bank |
Organizers: | Hosted by Central Bank of Oman and co-sponsored by the World Bank Office of the Chief Economist of the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, on behalf of the Regional Research Network of Central Banks of the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
OVERVIEW
The Regional Research Network (RRN) of Central Banks of the Middle East, North Africa , Afghanistan & Pakistan (MENAAP) was launched in 2021 with the support of the World Bank Office of the Chief Economist of MENAAP. The RRN seeks to facilitate the diffusion of ideas, scholarly research in economics, and promote evidence-based policy dialogue on the development challenges and opportunities faced by the MENAAP region. The RRN Annual Conference is organized by the Heads of Research Departments and/or Chief Economists of MENAAP Central Banks, together with the World Bank MENAAP Chief Economist Office.
The fifth edition of the conference will explore how MENAAP economies can build resilience and pursue reform amid growing global disruptions. Geopolitical fragmentation, climate risks, and tightening global financial conditions are increasingly intertwined with technological disruption—including advances in artificial intelligence (AI), fintech, and nontraditional data analytics—that are reshaping macroeconomic management, financial systems, and central banking mandates. These dynamics, compounded by long-standing structural challenges such as oil dependency, high un(der)employment, and weak private sector dynamism, call for a rethinking of macroeconomic strategies and structural reform pathways.
The Steering Committee of the 5th 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. Relevant questions and topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- How can fiscal and monetary policies in MENAAP remain agile, credible, and better coordinated amid rising global policy uncertainty and inflation?
- What are the priority structural reforms needed to build resilience in the face of current trade disruptions, sustain diversification efforts, and promote private sector–led growth?
- In light of growing trade uncertainty and geopolitical fragmentation, how can deeper regional trade and financial integration enhance the resilience and growth prospects of MENAAP economies?
- What are the implications of emerging technologies and technology shocks for financial stability, central banking mandates, and digital financial inclusion in the MENAAP region?
Empirical and theoretical contributions analyzing these topics are welcome. While a focus on MENAAP countries is encouraged, papers examining broader global issues with clear relevance to MENAAP’s economic and policy challenges will be also highly valued.
SUBMISSIONS
The deadline for submissions is September 20, 2025 (before midnight Washington, DC time). Interested authors should send their papers to maprrn@worldbank.org. The e-mail should contain i) the name, title, and affiliated organization/institution of the main author and potential presenter, ii) the names of the co-authors, iii) an abstract of the paper and iv) the full paper as an attachment. Please use [Paper submission to the fifth RRN Conference] in the subject line. Authors of accepted papers will be notified by email on October 30, 2025.
QUESTIONS?
Questions or comments about the submission of papers should be addressed to maprrn@worldbank.org. For more information on the RRN, including recordings of previous editions of the conference, please visit the RRN website.
