The MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) extends, south of the Mediterranean Sea, from Morocco to Egypt and, east of the Mediterranean Sea, from Yemen across the countries of the Arabian Peninsula all the way to Syria. The political and economic situation there remains tense even seven years after the Arab Spring. Each country faces a very different situation: in Tunisia, a new constitution was adopted in January 2014 and the parliamentary elections to be held at the end of 2014 are anticipated with great excitement. In the Middle East, the geopolitical risks have increased as the Islamic State (IS) terror militia grows in strength and a bloody civil war rages in Syria.
On behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), KfW Development Bank wherever possible supports reforms, democratic processes and economic growth. Young people in particular often need opportunities: education, internships and apprenticeships and more jobs. Syria's neighbours, first and foremost Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq, have to cope with a large influx of refugees. The region has some of the scarcest water resources in the world. Here German financial cooperation focuses primarily on managing water resources, using the resources more efficiently and on access to the urban water supply and sanitation. Setting up and expanding a sustainable energy supply, above all with renewable energy sources, is also a high priority.
KfW Development Bank has been active in the MENA region for more than 40 years: it has offices in Morocco, Egypt, the Palestinian territories, Jordan and Tunisia. Commitments for the MENA region in 2019 amounted to a total of EUR 1.4 billion.
