Central Bank meet on development economics in MENA begins in Riyadh

Central Bank meet on development economics in MENA begins in Riyadh

RIYADH — Under the patronage of Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) Governor Fahad Almubarak, the 2nd Annual Central Bank Conference on Development Economics in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) was inaugurated in Riyadh Tuesday. The inauguration ceremony was attended by the World Bank Vice President for Middle East and North Africa Ferid Belhaj and a number of central bank officials from participating countries. On this occasion, SAMA Deputy Governor for Research and International Affairs Fahad Alshathri delivered a welcoming speech on behalf of the governor, in which he stressed the significance of the conference. Alshathri said in his speech that the conference, hosted by SAMA for the first time in Saudi Arabia, promotes academic research. He also added that the event encourages the participation of economic entities from across the MENA region in discussions of key issues facing the region’s economic policymakers. The topics covered by this year’s conference are especially important as they include high inflation and its repercussions on the global economy and the MENA region specifically. In his speech, the deputy governor also made reference to the initiatives launched by SAMA to support economic and financial research that aim to enhance the Saudi economy. Such initiatives