International Development Grant
Middle East and North Africa Transition Fund
Project Number: CA-3-Z021045001
Status: Closed
Country/Region: Unknown
Regional Focus:
Maximum Contribution: $20,000,000.00
Start Date: October 15, 2012
End Date: December 31, 2022
Duration: 10.2 years
Project Description
The purpose of the Middle East and North Africa Transition Fund is to help countries in the Middle East and North Africa strengthen their governance social and economic institutions and plan and implement locally-led reforms. Created in April 2012 and managed by the World Bank the Fund supports projects that provide technical training and expertise to local stakeholders and promote knowledge exchanges between international financial institutions countries in the Middle East and North Africa and donors. The Fund aims to provide grants to public and private institutions in five countries in the region (Egypt Jordan Libya Morocco and Tunisia) for projects in the following areas: (a) investments in sustainable growth; (b) inclusive development and job creation; (c) enhanced economic governance; and (d) trade competitiveness and integration. The Fund is an initiative of the Deauville Partnership with Arab Countries in Transition. The Deauville Partnership is a long-term global partnership that was established in 2011 to respond to the historic changes in some of the countries in the Middle East and North Africa region. It aims to help these countries by supporting their transition to democracy strengthening governance fostering economic and social inclusion creating jobs supporting private sector-led growth and advancing regional and global integration.
Expected Results
The expected intermediate results for this project include: strengthened investment climate of regions and countries in MENA in a sustainable way; improved human resource management and development commensurate to the sustainable economic growth potential of transition countries; and strengthened international competitiveness and integration.
Progress & Results Achieved
Results achieved by the Middle East and North Africa Transition Fund with the assistance of Canada and other international donors as of March 2014 include: The effective and appropriate governance required to receive assess approve and disburse financial support to viable projects was established and implemented. Since the inception of the Fund 43 projects totalling about $140 million were approved. These initiatives provide technical assistance to governments in transition for institutional reforms that promote more accountable governance and broad-based sustainable growth. Projects launched to date deal with issues such as increasing youth employability small and medium-sized enterprise development regional market integration leadership capacity development and dialogue with civil society in Jordan Morocco Tunisia Libya Egypt and Yemen. In 2014 Canada assumed the role of donor co-Chair of the Fund with Egypt and has identified four areas of focus: securing new contributions/donors diversifying the applicant base (media groups judiciary parliaments civil society etc.) ensuring greater and earlier engagement with project proponents and capturing and communicating results.
Key Information
Executing Agency:
IBRD Trust Funds - World Bank
Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada
Program:
EGM Europe Arctic Middle East and Magh
Last Modified:
September 19, 2025
Development Classifications
DAC Sector:
Aid Type: Contributions to specific-purpose programmes and funds managed by implementing partners
Collaboration: Bilateral
Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation
Selection Mechanism:
Pre-APP