MED’s aim is to be an intermediary for intraregional dialogue, ensuring a high interaction and exchange of views among its participants. In this context, this by-invitation-only Forum, organized by ISPI, with the knowledge partnership of McKinsey & Company, aimed to bring together a restricted group of top business and institutional representatives, from all over the Mediterranean region, in order to analyze and discuss specific themes and challenges related to infrastructure. It has been conceived as an open debate among all the participants, under the Chatham House Rule. The working language is English.

08:30–10:00am CET | Session 1
INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS AND REFORMS TO BOOST THE RECOVERY
The recovery from the pandemic will undoubtedly involve the MENA region, even ifits growth will be uneven. According to the IMF, North Africa will grow by 8.1% in 2021, far higher than the 2.7% growth forecasted for the Middle East. However, to be sustainable, this growth must be underpinned by structural reforms and quality infrastructure investments aimed at improving overall competitiveness and ensuring a smooth green transition for the larger Mediterranean basin. To reach these goals, public and private resources could be blended to increase the pool of financial resources available for the green transition and to bridge the existing infrastructure gap. Connectivity will be one of the crucial issues to be addressed, also to allow MENA countries to participate in a more efficient way in the global value chains. Finally, to trigger long-term growth, investments will have to be coordinated with resources made available by G20 countries and by the EU through “Next Generation EU”. In this sense, cooperation in the region will be crucial to address the major infrastructure gaps, ensure a coordinated energy transition and a steady recovery from pandemic.