Towards Better Air Quality in Egypt

THE CHALLENGE

In Cairo, every September, families close their windows, parents worry about their children’s coughs, and outdoor workers brace themselves for weeks of heavy haze and burning smells. The annual Black Cloud season, stretching from September to December, had become part of life in Egypt’s capital. During this season, emissions from open burning of rice stubble routinely adds to those from solid waste burning, transportation, and industry, driving air pollution to dangerous levels.

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Unlocking Global International Financial Institution Opportunities: How RVO and the Washington Embassy Support Dutch Business

Dutch entrepreneurs looking to expand globally through International Financial Institutions (IFIs), the strategic partnership between the RVO Team International Organisations (TIO) and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Washington D.C. (WAS) offers a vital support network. TIO serves as the primary point of contact for initial advice on a wide range of institutions—including the IADB, ADB, AfDB, and UN—while the WAS team specializes in providing in-depth guidance for DC-based organizations like the World Bank Group and IADB. Together, they ensure that the Dutch private sector is well-positioned to navigate the complex landscape of international procurement and partnership.

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World Bank Group to Double Guarantees for Africa to Catalyze Investment, Create Jobs

Washington, May 19, 2026—The World Bank Group Guarantee Platform, housed at the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), aims to more than double its annual issuance of guarantees in Africa to $6.4 billion by 2030, aiming to improve the lives of around 190 million people over the next four years alone.  

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Nature isn’t the alternative to modern technology. It is technology


Technology is often celebrated as an engine of growth and development, conjuring images of advanced machinery, artificial intelligence, and cutting-edge innovation. Nature, by contrast, is too often considered as something separate from technology, or even something to be protected from or balanced against it. But this framing misses a deeper truth. Nature is ancient intelligence. It is the original AI.

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As Aid Shrinks, Jobs Become Central to Self-reliance for Host Communities and Refugees in Kenya

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

  • In Kenya, poverty and joblessness remain entrenched among host communities and refugees, especially in camps, while humanitarian assistance has declined.
  • Jobs are disappearing in labor markets shared by host communities and refugees: refugee employment has collapsed, while host communities face persistently weak job prospects.
  • The Shirika Plan is a historic opportunity, but self-reliance will remain out of reach without jobs. Success hinges on enabling work through enhanced mobility, private investment, and targeted, shock responsive support.
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Joint Statement by Seven Multilateral Development Banks Pledging Support to Address Impacts of the Middle East Conflict

PARIS, May 18, 2026—The signatory Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) are responding to requests for support from countries and clients to help address the heterogeneous and compound impacts from the conflict in the Middle East, including disruptions to energy and fertilizer markets and trade routes, with spillover effects on inflation, food security, jobs, fiscal and external balances, and financing conditions.

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World Bank Supports Energy Transition and Job Creation in Brazil’s Northeast Region

WASHINGTON, DC, May 15, 2026 — The World Bank’s Board of Directors has approved a new project to catalyze investment in low-carbon industrial commodities, clean fuels, and enabling infrastructure in industrial and energy value chains in the Northeast region of Brazil, paving the way for increased competitiveness and employment.

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The Gambia: How Rural Electrification is Transforming a Welder’s Life in Jah Kunda

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

  • Grid power is cutting rural business energy costs (about D200/$2.5 per week in some cases).
  • GERMP/ECOREAP projects have connected 706 communities—raising access from 60% (2018) toward 90% projected today.
  • Reliable electricity is supporting rural jobs and apprenticeships (around 15 trainees in some workshops).
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