Paschal Donohoe

A highlight was visiting Smart Village w/ H.E. Dr. Raafat Hendy. I was struck by the depth of talent and innovation on display. Egypt has built strong digital foundations. The next phase is attracting more private investment, accelerating innovation, & creating better jobs.

Egypt's digital transformation is creating new opportunities for growth, investment, & jobs. In Cairo, I met Prime Minister H.E. Dr. Mostafa Madbouly and his cabinet to discuss how the @WorldBankGroup can support Egypt's reform agenda & transition to private sector-led growth.

🎥 | Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer at the WBG, @Paschald, highlights the Saudi model for enhancing competitiveness and the reforms implemented by the Saudi Competitiveness & Business Center to improve the business environment and support economic growth. He emphasizes the importance of sustaining knowledge exchange and leveraging Saudi Arabia's experience while sharing its lessons with the world.

Next stop: Cairo. My reading for this visit is "The Political Economy of Reforms in Egypt" by Dr. Khalid Ikram. Every country's reform journey is unique. Understanding a country's economic history is the first step toward understanding its future.

Thank you, H.E. Dr. Eiman Al-Mutairi, for the warm welcome. Strengthening competitiveness and improving the business environment are central to creating jobs, attracting investment, & supporting long-term growth. Looking forward to deepening our partnership. x.com/SCBC/status/20…

@malkassabi Thank you, Minister @malkassabi. Delighted to strengthen our partnership through the Riyadh Global Knowledge Hub. When countries share what works, they help others create more jobs, strengthen competitiveness, and accelerate growth.

في إطار شراكة المملكة مع مجموعة البنك الدولي، اجتمعت اليوم بالمدير العام وكبير مسؤولي المعرفة في البنك السيد باسكال دونوهو والوفد المرافق له، حيث تناولنا مستجدات أعمال وأنشطة مركز المعرفة العالمي، واستعرضنا تجربة المملكة الرائدة في تنفيذ الإصلاحات، وفرص استفادة دول المنطقة والعالم منها لتعزيز قدراتها التنافسية.

That's the ambition of the @WorldBankGroup's Knowledge Bank: helping successful ideas travel further so more countries can turn knowledge into jobs, growth, and opportunity. Watch this short video🎥

Every country is asking similar questions: How do we create more jobs? How do we attract investment? How do we build more competitive and resilient economies? Delighted to visit the Riyad Global Knowledge Hub w/ H.E. Dr. Eiman Al-Mutairi. Saudi Arabia offers valuable lessons.

المدير العام ورئيس قسم المعرفة في مجموعة البنك الدولي باسكال دونوهو لـ "العربية Business" 📌 نستطيع تقديم الدعم والقروض بقيمة تصل إلى 50 مليار دولار إذا سمحت الشروط الاقتصادية، والسعودية شريك ومساهم مهم في هذا الدور 📌 رؤية المملكة 2030 تدعم تحقيق تنويع اقتصادي وصمود كبير، وساهمت في خفض البطالة لأقل من 7% 📌 الرؤية ساهمت بشكل واضح في زيادة مرونة سوق العمل السعودي وزيادة أعداد الوظائف في السنوات الأخيرة 📌 البنك الدولي افتتح مركزاً للمعرفة في الرياض لتعزيز التعاون وتقديم أداء اقتصادي أفضل 📌 الاقتصادات العالمية تواجه تحديات متجددة تتعلق بأسعار الغذاء والتضخم 📌 البنك الدولي يدعم الاقتصادات لمواجهة الصدمات والتحديات الحالية من خلال القروض والمنح 📌 الذكاء الاصطناعي يمتلك طموحاً كبيراً في السعودية للمساهمة في النمو الاقتصادي وتدريب الملايين على التعامل معه 📌 رغم وجود تحديات واضحة للذكاء الاصطناعي، إلا أن الفرص التي يتيحها أكبر بكثير @Paschald @MayKhadra_bn #افتتاح_الأسواق #العربية_Business

Go raibh míle maith agat to former Min of Finance now World Bank MD & Chief Knowledge Officer @Paschald for taking time this morning to visit the Embassy Great to catch up on Vision 2030; AI; Saudi's intl humanitarian support; & the Irish community here in the Kingdom 🇮🇪🤝🇸🇦

المدير العام وكبير مسؤولي المعرفة في مجموعة البنك الدولي، يعرب عن إعجابه لما حققته المملكة في مجال الذكاء الاصطناعي، مبينًا أنه يمكن استفادة دول المنطقة من تجربة المملكة الريادية في هذا المجال #سدايا #عام_الذكاء_الاصطناعي

Culture, heritage, & tourism are powerful drivers of growth, job creation, & community development. It was a pleasure to see this in action during my visit to @DiriyahCo, where investment in heritage is creating new opportunities for people, businesses, & future generations.

AI will help shape the future of jobs, healthcare and growth. That's why our partnership w/ Saudi Arabia matters. Through @WorldBankGroup's Global Knowledge Hub in Riyadh, we want proven solutions to travel further—helping countries across the region adapt and scale what works.

Imagine a patient receiving specialist care through the world's largest virtual hospital. It's already happening in Saudi Arabia. Visits to the SEHA Virtual Hospital & the Saudi Data & Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) showed how AI can improve lives & public services.

Delighted to connect with our dedicated colleagues at the @WorldBankGroup Riyadh Hub. The Knowledge Bank is about helping proven solutions travel further—connecting ideas, expertise, & experience so countries across the region can adapt what works & help accelerate progress.

On my way to Riyadh. I’ve been reading Saudi Arabia: A Modern History by David Commins—a fascinating account of the Kingdom’s evolution & its drive toward a more diversified, knowledge-driven economy. Looking forward to learning from our partners & Saudi Arabia’s experience.

Expanding women's financial inclusion is essential to creating jobs, unlocking entrepreneurship, and strengthening economies. An important conversation with my colleague @bjerde_anna and partners on why this matters for Africa and beyond.

What if limited public funds could unlock billions in private investment? Rwanda's partnership with the @WorldBankGroup shows how innovative guarantees can lower borrowing costs, mobilize private capital, and create more room to invest in jobs, infrastructure, and growth. Read @JUNAIDWBG and @WorldBankAfrica's Ndiame Diop's @ProSyn op-ed. bit.ly/4eS9KJn

An important discussion on AI. As @NOIweala noted, ensuring developing countries can participate in—and help shape—the AI revolution will be critical. Valuable research from my colleague @IndermitGill. I explore these themes in my @TIME OpEd: time.com/article/2026/0…