The International Monetary Fund launched on October 19, 2011 its Arabic-language blog for the Middle East and North Africa http://blog-montada.imf.orgThe blog, called the Economic Window (  النافذة الاقتصادية  ) will focus on international issues and economic topics related to the region. Find it at: http://blog-montada.imf.org/

The first post is by Masood Ahmed, head of the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia Department, on how to build on the optimism of the Arab Spring and create a more vibrant economy in the region. The Middle East and North Africa has many strengths on which to build: a dynamic and young population, vast natural resources, a large regional market, and an advantageous geographic position with access to important markets. The blog hopes to encourage debate and offer analysis and potential solutions on economic issues, while providing Arabic commentaries on global topics.

The new Arabic-language blog complements the IMF’s English-language blog, iMFdirect—the Fund’s global economy forum.