Research Analyst Job #: req34691 Organization: World Bank Sector: Economics Grade: GE Term Duration:ย 3 years 0 months Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment Location: Riyadh,Saudi Arabia Required Language(s): English Preferred Language(s): Arabic Closing Date: 11/11/2025 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
Description
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. For more information, visit www.worldbank.orgย
Regional Context
The Middle East and North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan Region serves twenty two countries across different income groups, of which fourteen are active/potentially active IBRD/IDA borrowers (Afghanistan, Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Syria, West Bank and Gaza, Tunisia, and Yemen), with a total of 251 projects and over $51 bn in total commitment. Eight are users of the Region's non-lending services, mostly on a reimbursable basis (Bahrain, Kuwait, Libya, Malta, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates).ย The mission of the region is to foster sustainable growth with a focus on job creation and poverty reduction, economic and social inclusion, and good governance. The region attaches importance to creating a supportive work environment based on the values of teamwork, transparency, trust, and client service, underlined by professional excellence. The region places high value on diversity. The region is organized into seven Country Departments (CMUs), the Office of the Regional Chief Economist, and the Development Effectiveness Unit (MNADE).
With an expanded regional strategy, the World Bank aims to help the region weather the current crises, move from stabilization to transformation, unlock its vast economic potential of youth and women, develop its human capital to adapt to global megatrends, and foster innovation (https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/mena).
Country Context
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is undergoing a transformation in its economy and society towards the achievement of its Vision 2030, a long-term plan to expand the economy and reduce its dependency on oil revenues. Key pillars of Vision 2030 include diversifying the economy, enhancing the private sector role, investing in strategic sectors such as tourism and entertainment, empowering Saudi youth, and fostering innovation and technological advancement. At the same time, the World Bank Group (WBG) is reigniting its role as a Knowledge Bank by renewing and strengthening its global knowledge role in view of the ongoing data and technological revolution. In its reinvented role, the World Bank Group strives to take knowledge to a new level and place it front and center, with the emphasis on ending poverty on a livable planet.
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In December 2024, the World Bank Group and the Government of KSA signed a partnership agreement to establish a WBG-Saudi Arabia Knowledge Hub (K-Hub). The K-Hub will act as a platform to facilitate the generation, dissemination and exchange of specialized knowledge and good economic practices.ย It will act as a vehicle through which KSA can share its experience in areas of expertise within the neighboring regions and more globally, while also benefitting from the experience of other countries in areas of strategic relevance. The aim is to offer centralized access to information in the focus themes, transferring countriesโ successful reforms, fostering innovative ideas, supporting evidence-based policymaking, and improving the effectiveness of development efforts across areas of focus. It will also provide a centralized effort for capacity building in key technical skills. serving as a platform for knowledge generation and exchange.ย The WBG has established similar hubs in many countries, for example in Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea, among others. The WBG-Saudi Arabia K-Hub has a global outreach, with focus on particular regions depending on the countryโs priorities. Regions of particular interest in the initial phases of its establishment are the MENA region and Africa. The Steering Committee, which is set to meet regularly, will determine and review priorities.
The K-Hub is a WBG initiative, led by IBRD and building on its expertise in establishing similar platforms, with endorsement and participation from the International Financial Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). As such, it builds on the institutionโs global positioning to ensure visibility of KSA's success areas, and benefit from other countries' experience to inform and inspire KSAโs transformational journey.
The K-Hub will start with an initial focus on two overarching themes, Competitiveness and Diversification, which will have a range of more focused sub-themes, agreed upon with the Saudi counterparts. As seen in other WBG hubs, these can naturally expand over time to include other relevant themes. The following four sub-themes have been selected as priorities for the first phase of the knowledge hub program: (i) Business Environment Reforms; (ii) Innovation Policy and Quality Infrastructure; (iii) Productivity Growth and Firm Capabilities; (iv) Exports Diversification, Trade Policy and Trade Facilitation.
Duties and Accountabilities
The Economic Policy Global Practice is seeking a highly motivated Research Analyst with strong quantitative and analytical skills to join the K-Hub team in Riyadh. The successful candidate will work in close collaboration with the K-Hub team and the broader Economic Policy (EP) team and will play an integral role in advancing EP contributions within the K-Hubโs multidisciplinary work program. The responsibilities of the Research Analyst will include, but are not limited to, the following:
โข Data Management: Provide substantive support in the collection, management, and analysis of economic data. This includes maintaining macroeconomic databases, ensuring data quality, and preparing data visualizations and summaries to support the team's analytical work.
โข Analytical Contributions: Contribute to the development of analytical products under the K-Hub's thematic areas, such as competitiveness, economic diversification, trade, and productivity. This will involve providing input for analytical reports, policy notes, and economic briefs.
โข Research Support: Assist the Senior Economist in conducting research and analysis. This includes performing literature reviews, gathering and processing data, and contributing to the drafting of research papers and presentations.
โข Policy Dialogue: Participate in and contribute to the policy dialogue with government counterparts and other stakeholders. This includes assisting in the preparation of presentations, briefing notes, and other materials for meetings and workshops.
โข Team Collaboration: Work closely and collaboratively with the Senior Economist, the broader EP team, and colleagues in the Finance, Competitiveness, and Innovation (FCI) Global Practice within the K-Hub to ensure a cohesive and impactful work program.
Selection Criteria
โข Education: A Master's degree in Economics or a related field with a strong foundation in quantitative analysis.
โข Experience: A minimum of 2 years of relevant professional experience in economic analysis, research, or a related field.
โข Technical Skills: Strong quantitative and analytical capabilities, with proficiency in MS Excel, Stata, and EViews for data analysis and management. Demonstrated ability to produce analytical outputs, including presentations and concise reports. Solid grasp of macroeconomics, fiscal policy, international trade, and structural reform issues.
โข Communication Skills: Excellent written and oral communication skills in English. The ability to present complex economic analysis clearly and concisely is essential. Proficiency in Arabic is preferred.
โข Teamwork: Proven ability to work effectively as part of a team, under the supervision of a senior team member, and to collaborate with colleagues from different cultural and professional backgrounds.
โข Initiative and Results Orientation: A demonstrated sense of initiative, a strong results orientation, and the ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
โข Client Orientation: A high degree of motivation and a demonstrated interest in achieving impact through analytical work and support for policy dialogue.
โข Adaptability and Learning: Willingness to learn and adapt to evolving priorities and workstreams. Openness to feedback and continuous professional development.
WBG Culture Attributes:
1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.
World Bank Group Core Competencies
The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.
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