AFI’s Arab Region Financial Inclusion Policy Initiative gears up for a busy 2025

AFI’s Arab Region Financial Inclusion Policy Initiative (ARFIPI), which works to build stronger integration and coordination among Arab region members, is set for a busy 2025. On 10 December 2024, ARFIPI’s Expert Group on Financial Inclusion Policy (EGFIP) held its seventh virtual meeting of the year, to plan the implementation of ARFIPI’s workplan, which was approved at the first ARFIPI Leaders’ Roundtable meeting, which took place during the AFI 2024 Global Policy Forum in September.

“The workplan replies to members requests and priorities, containing a broad range of actions to help members develop and implement impactful policies, build technical skills, amplify Arab member voices regionally and globally, and strengthen ARFIPI’s coordination and governance structure,” said AFI Arab Region Manager, Katia Mehanneche.

An AFI member survey undertaken at the beginning of 2024 highlighted digital financial services, gender inclusive finance and data as the top three policy priorities for Arab Region members. The ARFIPI workplan contains a range of initiatives addressing these priorities and others, including consumer protection, financial literacy, inclusive green finance, and the financial inclusion of disadvantaged populations such as youth, forcibly displaced people, and people with disabilities.

Already planned for 2025 are a regional capacity-building event in June, exploring how to support women-led small businesses, as well as peer sharing discussions among Arab members on their priority policy areas. A webinar for AFI members and partners from developed countries and the private sector will be held to celebrate Arab Financial Inclusion Day in April.

The June capacity-building event will be organized as a side event to the EGFIP’s first in-person meeting. The EGFIP is chaired by Ms. Ibtissam El Anzaoui from Bank Al-Maghrib, and M. Khaled Bassiouny from Central Bank of Egypt, who was appointed as Co-Chair at the September Leaders Roundtable.

You can learn more about ARFIPI’s objectives, members, and focus areas on its webpage.