Publications

This report provides a comprehensive view of the performance of the microfi- nance sector in the Arab region, beginning with a 2006-2008 study of scale and out- reach trends with a sample of 35 micro- finance institutions (MFIs) and a special focus on the microfinance sector crisis in Morocco, the only country to register a de- crease in outreach in 2008. The report then highlights key regional policy improve- ments, followed by a study of the funding structure of the microfinance sector, the deep changes that have occurred, and key funding characteristics in terms of volume, lender type, and pricing. The last sections of the report analyze both portfolio quality by country and the profitability of the mi- crofinance sector in the region, which now has the highest return on assets (ROA) in the world.