Making microfinance work in the Middle East and North Africa

This report analyzes microfinance in the Middle East and North Africa and makes recommendations to improve current practices and narrow the gap between demand and supply. The mainsource of information was a comprehensive survey--the first of its kind--of 60 microfinance programs in the region. The countries covered in detail are Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, the West Bank and Gaza, and Yemen. In some cases--especially when discussing the need for microfinance and the financing gap--Algeria, Iran, and Syria are also included. Developing the microfinance industry in the Middle East and North Africa will require building local capacity, increasing the efficiency and sustainability of microfinance programs, and engaging the formal financial sector.