Jihad Azour
Jihad Azour is the Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund where he oversees the Fund’s work in the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia and Caucasus. Mr. Azour served as Lebanon’s Finance Minister in 2005-08, during which time he coordinated the implementation of important reforms, including modernizing the country’s tax and customs systems. Before and since his time as finance minister, he held a wide range of positions in the private sector, including McKinsey and Booz and Co. where he was a Vice-President and Senior Executive Advisor. Prior to joining the IMF in March 2017, he was a Managing Partner at investment firm Inventis Partners. Mr. Azour holds a PhD in International Finance and a post-graduate degree in International Economics and Finance, both from the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris. He also did research on emerging economies and their integration into the global economy as a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard. Mr. Azour has published several books and articles on economic and financial issues and taught extensively. Read More
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Contents
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How the War in the Middle East Is Affecting Energy, Trade, and Finance
- Published: March 30, 2026
- Authors: Tobias Adrian, Jihad Azour, Nigel Chalk, Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, Alfred Kammer, Abebe Aemro Selassie, Krishna Srinivasan, Rodrigo Valdés
- Summary: Energy prices, supply chains, and financial markets are the main transmission channels, but the regional effects will vary significantly
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More Diversified Trade Can Make Middle East and Central Asia More Resilient
- Published: May 13, 2024
- Authors: Jihad Azour
- Summary: Reducing trade barriers, easing regulatory constraints, and upgrading infrastructure can mitigate challenges and help countries leverage new opportunities.
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How the Middle East and Central Asia Can Better Address Climate Challenges
- Published: November 29, 2023
- Authors: Jihad Azour, Hasan Dudu, Ling Zhu
- Summary: Investment of up to 4 percent of GDP annually is needed to ensure climate resilience and meet emissions reduction targets
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Africa's Fragile States Are Greatest Climate Change Casualties
- Published: August 30, 2023
- Authors: Jihad Azour, Abebe Aemro Selassie
- Summary: International partners must support the continent’s most vulnerable countries to adapt to extreme weather—or spillovers could become more disruptive
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Countries Hurt by War and Fragility Need Strong Global Partnerships, Resources
- Published: December 22, 2022
- Authors: Jihad Azour, Franck Bousquet, Abebe Aemro Selassie
- Summary: Supporting fragile and conflict-affected states in an age of compound crises is essential for global stability
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How Fiscal Policy Can Help Middle East, Central Asia Reduce Emissions
- Published: November 6, 2022
- Authors: Jihad Azour, Gareth Anderson, Ling Zhu
- Summary: Early rollout of climate-mitigation strategies will help countries meet their Paris Agreement commitments and smooth the low-carbon transition
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Middle East Needs Fairer Taxes to Aid Growth and Ease Inequality
- Published: July 6, 2022
- Authors: Jihad Azour, Priscilla Muthoora, Geneviève Verdier
- Summary: More progressive taxes with fewer exemptions would help governments pay for immediate spending priorities and make societies fairer.
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Middle East and North Africa’s Commodity Importers Hit by Higher Prices
- Published: May 24, 2022
- Authors: Jihad Azour, Jeta Menkulasi, Rodrigo Garcia-Verdu
- Summary: Higher commodity prices, propelled upwards by war in Ukraine, will have a significant economic impact on the region.
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Without Adaptation, Middle East and Central Asia Face Crippling Climate Losses
- Published: March 30, 2022
- Authors: Jihad Azour, Christoph Duenwald
- Summary: International cooperation is essential to manage the costs and maximize the benefits of adaptation, particularly for the most vulnerable countries.
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How War in Ukraine Is Reverberating Across World’s Regions
- Published: March 15, 2022
- Authors: Alfred Kammer, Jihad Azour, Abebe Aemro Selassie, Ilan Goldfajn, Chang Yong Rhee
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Opinion: Time of major economic transformations in the Middle East
- Published: October 27, 2021
- Authors: Jihad Azour
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Cooperation Critical to Reducing Divergent Paths to Recovery in Middle East and Central Asia
- Published: February 4, 2021
- Authors: Jihad Azour
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Building an Inclusive Recovery in the Middle East and Central Asia
- Published: October 19, 2020
- Authors: Jihad Azour, Joyce Wong
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COVID-19 Pandemic and the Middle East and Central Asia: Region Facing Dual Shock
- Published: March 24, 2020
- Authors: Jihad Azour
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Ensuring the Benefits of Capital Flows in the Middle East
- Published: January 15, 2020
- Authors: Jihad Azour, Ling Zhu
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Implementing the IMF-supported programme
- Published: July 5, 2019
- Authors: Jihad Azour
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Economic Growth and Fairness in the Middle East and North Africa
- Published: January 18, 2018
- Authors: Jihad Azour
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Source: https://www.imf.org/en/blogs/authors/jihad%20azour