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Middle East and North Africa

IDRC’s Middle East and North Africa office in Cairo, Egypt, manages our activities in the region.

Every day, the region struggles with instability and conflict. Local economies are under strain, and for the most part, they rely too heavily on the oil industry. Many countries are depleting their natural resources at rates well above sustainable levels. Desertification, water scarcity, and food security are major concerns — and serious water problems remain unresolved.

Like the rest of the developing world, the Middle East and North Africa region is in search of answers. Our programming is designed to empower countries in the region through knowledge. Our support strengthens their ability to confront development challenges and find solutions — from Algeria to Yemen.

Latest Project

HarassMap: Using Crowdsourced Data in the Social Sciences

Women in Cairo are now able to report rape, harassment, and assaults through Harrassmap, a pilot project in Cairo, Egypt. The goal is to change the social acceptability of sexual harassment in Egypt.

Latest Result

Entrepreneurs could hold key to job creation in the Middle East

Despite reforms, labour markets in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have been unable to absorb the growing number of job seekers. Women and educated youth are particularly vulnerable to high unemployment. However, data on entrepreneurship and...


News

Call for Proposals: Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Middle East and North Africa

17/04/2013

Emerging political developments in the Middle East and North Africa may result in either the advancement of women’s rights and roles in a more democratic society or to back-sliding and regression as new social players and ideologies come to the...

IDRC’s office in Cairo—back to normal

28/02/2011

IDRC’s Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa in Cairo has now returned to normal hours of operation. Staff have resumed their regular duties.

Events

Oil Money and Arab Philanthropy: Social Investing in a Global Context

31/08/2009

Ottawa, Canada, August 31, 2009 – Barbara Ibrahim, a renowned expert on the Arab World’s philanthropic sector, will be in Ottawa on September 3 to deliver a lecture at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). In her presentation “Arab...

Under Fire : Reporting on Elections in Iraq

20/04/2010

Ottawa, Canada, April 15, 2009 – Iraqi journalists continue to face great risk trying to report their stories. According to Journalistic Freedoms Observatory, 188 journalists and media workers have been killed, and 78 kidnapped since March 2003...

Latest Projects

Women in Cairo are now able to report rape, harassment, and assaults through Harrassmap, a pilot project in Cairo, Egypt. The goal is to change the social acceptability of sexual harassment in Egypt.
HarassMap: Using Crowdsourced Data in the Social SciencesHarassMap: Using Crowdsourced Data in the Social SciencesSupport to SciDev.NetBuilding Research Partnerships for Children's Nutritional Status in AfricaResearch Program of Adolescent HIV Prevention StrategiesThe Arab Council for the Social Sciences: Support for Institutional Development, Core Capacities, and an Inaugural Research Program

Latest Projects

IDRC funding for SciDev.Net (SDN), will enhance the not-for profit organization's ability to provide reliable and authoritative information about science and technology in the developing world as it t
HarassMap: Using Crowdsourced Data in the Social Sciences Support to SciDev.NetSupport to SciDev.NetBuilding Research Partnerships for Children's Nutritional Status in AfricaResearch Program of Adolescent HIV Prevention StrategiesThe Arab Council for the Social Sciences: Support for Institutional Development, Core Capacities, and an Inaugural Research Program

Latest Projects

Nutrition plays a critical role in the health of children in Africa. This research support project will provide funding to researchers to assess children's food consumption patterns and their nutritio
HarassMap: Using Crowdsourced Data in the Social SciencesSupport to SciDev.Net Building Research Partnerships for Children's Nutritional Status in AfricaBuilding Research Partnerships for Children's Nutritional Status in AfricaResearch Program of Adolescent HIV Prevention StrategiesThe Arab Council for the Social Sciences: Support for Institutional Development, Core Capacities, and an Inaugural Research Program

Latest Projects

In Africa, HIV is having a devastating impact on young people. Globally, youth aged 15 to 24 account for almost one third of all new infections. There are unique challenges to implementing adolescent-
HarassMap: Using Crowdsourced Data in the Social SciencesSupport to SciDev.NetBuilding Research Partnerships for Children's Nutritional Status in Africa Research Program of Adolescent HIV Prevention StrategiesResearch Program of Adolescent HIV Prevention StrategiesThe Arab Council for the Social Sciences: Support for Institutional Development, Core Capacities, and an Inaugural Research Program

Latest Projects

This project will provide institutional support to the recently established Arab Council for the Social Sciences (ACSS) for a broad-based program of research. Funding will enable the organization to d
HarassMap: Using Crowdsourced Data in the Social SciencesSupport to SciDev.NetBuilding Research Partnerships for Children's Nutritional Status in AfricaResearch Program of Adolescent HIV Prevention Strategies The Arab Council for the Social Sciences: Support for Institutional Development, Core Capacities, and an Inaugural Research ProgramThe Arab Council for the Social Sciences: Support for Institutional Development, Core Capacities, and an Inaugural Research Program

Latest Results

Despite reforms, labour markets in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have been unable to absorb the growing number of job seekers. Women and educated youth are particularly vulnerable to high unemployment. However, data on entrepreneurship and...
Entrepreneurs could hold key to job creation in the Middle EastUrban agriculture could boost food security in Arab countriesUsing water wisely to feed growing citiesCreating opportunities for women in agriculture Better economics: measuring the benefits of climate change adaptation with stakeholder analysis

Latest Results

IDRC-funded researchers propose local urban agriculture as a solution to food insecurity in a recent paper published by the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies. Food insecurity in Arab countries is closely tied to...
Entrepreneurs could hold key to job creation in the Middle East Urban agriculture could boost food security in Arab countriesUsing water wisely to feed growing citiesCreating opportunities for women in agriculture Better economics: measuring the benefits of climate change adaptation with stakeholder analysis

Latest Results

Tunisia is helping to feed its growing cities by developing more efficient and sustainable agriculture that uses rainwater and recycled urban wastewater. The article Optimising Use of Water for Urban Agriculture: Responding to the challenge of...
Entrepreneurs could hold key to job creation in the Middle EastUrban agriculture could boost food security in Arab countries Using water wisely to feed growing citiesCreating opportunities for women in agriculture Better economics: measuring the benefits of climate change adaptation with stakeholder analysis

Latest Results

Learning financial skills through involvement in an urban farming cooperative has improved the lives of women in Amman, Jordan. The article Developing Value Chains in Amman, Jordan describes how the cooperative has led to women gaining valuable...
Entrepreneurs could hold key to job creation in the Middle EastUrban agriculture could boost food security in Arab countriesUsing water wisely to feed growing cities Creating opportunities for women in agriculture Better economics: measuring the benefits of climate change adaptation with stakeholder analysis

Latest Results

Innovative ways of measuring the costs and benefits of climate change adaptation options are the subject of Better economics: supporting adaptation with stakeholder analysis, a recent briefing note from the International Institute for Environment...
Entrepreneurs could hold key to job creation in the Middle EastUrban agriculture could boost food security in Arab countriesUsing water wisely to feed growing citiesCreating opportunities for women in agriculture Better economics: measuring the benefits of climate change adaptation with stakeholder analysis
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IDRC funds researchers in the developing world so they can build healthier, more prosperous societies
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