Khaberni - A new World Bank report confirmed that cities in the Middle East and North Africa region could play a stronger role in creating more and better job opportunities if urban policies are aligned with infrastructure, housing needs, and the requirements of private sector growth and labor market.
The report, titled "Successful Cities: Unlocking Employment Prospects and Job Opportunities in Cities of the Middle East and North Africa," stated that more than 60% of the region's population lives in cities, at a time when approximately 300 million young people are expected to be looking for jobs by 2050, with youth unemployment remaining among the highest globally.
The report, based on an analysis that included 615 cities in the region and compared them to more than 8,000 cities around the world, concluded that cities in the region are relatively productive by global standards, but operate on average at 17.6% less productivity than the best cities of similar size worldwide.
According to the report, more than 80% of the population of Jordan lives in cities, making urban development, land use planning, service enhancement, and market connectivity fundamental factors in enhancing job opportunities and economic growth.
Almud Weitz, the World Bank's Regional Director for Infrastructure, said, "Cities are the arena where the job challenge in the Middle East and North Africa will be decided," adding that urban development policy is not limited to buildings and roads and land use, but is linked to creating conditions that enable companies to grow and innovate, and provide women and youth with access to jobs.
The report noted constraints facing companies in urban areas, including difficulties in accessing land, electricity, water, and transportation, along with limited participation of women in the labor market, and the impact of transportation and child care and safety on job access opportunities, as well as the effect of housing constraints on labor mobility, especially among youth and low-skilled workers.
The report identified four areas for transforming urban growth into job opportunities: enhancing productive density through providing infrastructure and services, strengthening connectivity to local and international markets, increasing the attractiveness of cities for investment and talent through improving the business environment and quality of life, and building alliances between public and private sectors to support planning and reforms.
The report emphasized that large and major cities need to manage congestion, renew undeveloped urban lands, improve quality of life, and attract investments and innovation, while small and medium-sized cities need better basic services, stronger connections to nearby markets, support for digital connectivity, and to capitalize on local strengths such as tourism, agricultural industries, logistics, and light industries.
