Interview with Roberta Gatti, chief economist for Middle East & North Africa at the World Bank

During an interview following her panel at the Economy Middle East Summit, Roberta Gatti, chief economist for the Middle East and North Africa region at the World Bank, highlighted the reluctance of insurers to engage in the Suez Canal due to associated risks and elucidated the consequential impacts on Egypt’s economy and the flow of goods to Europe.

Gatti also addressed the narrowing gap between the growth rates of oil-exporting countries, particularly the GCCs, and oil-importing nations.

The outlook for 2024 appears somewhat positive. There is also room for improvement, particularly in identifying sources of productivity growth and fostering private sector expansion.

Gatti stressed the importance of rebalancing the roles of the public and private sectors to enable private sector growth, which in turn is vital for job creation in a region abundant with potential.