Weekly Update: MENA

Iraq – CIPE Regional Director for Africa and the Middle East Abdulwahab Alkebsi this week delivered a presentation on transparency and integrity as part of a three-day conference organized by MEED, a leading Middle Eastern business news portal, to discuss investment in the Iraqi Kurdish region. The conference, held in Erbil, featured high-ranking Kurdistan Regional Government officials, as well as international and domestic business leaders. Alkebsi’s presentation highlighted private sector advocacy efforts in the Kurdish region, discussed the linkages between investment and transparency, and emphasized the need for sustained private sector engagement in anti-corruption efforts. In addition, Hussam Barznji, executive director of CIPE partner the Kurdistan Economic Development Organization (KEDO), discussed economic reform and development in the region. His presentation built on KEDO’s CIPE-supported research and reform efforts to enhance transparency and accountability.