Harnessing Innovation and Integration for Sustainable and Inclusive Development in the Mediterranean Region
On 1 October 2025, the 9th Annual Conference of Governors of Mediterranean Central Banks took place in Cairo, hosted by the Central Bank of Egypt in collaboration with the Banco de España, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed), and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM).
Since its launch in 2014 in Barcelona, this high-level dialogue has grown into a central annual platform for economic and financial cooperation across the Mediterranean. It brings together governors of central banks, senior policymakers, international financial institutions, think tanks and academia to exchange views on the key economic challenges and structural transformations shaping the region.
The 2025 edition was convened under the theme “Harnessing Innovation and Integration for Sustainable and Inclusive Development in the Mediterranean Region”. The event gathered ten central banks and representatives from regional and international institutions, marking one of the most inclusive editions since the initiative’s inception.
The conference addressed how the Mediterranean can leverage technological innovation, sustainable finance, and regional cooperation to build resilience in the context of continued global uncertainty and accelerating economic transformation. Over the course of the day, discussions were structured around four thematic sessions: the first focusing on artificial intelligence and innovation in central banking; the second examining financing for sustainable development; the third exploring financial inclusion for all; and the fourth analysing financial integration in the Mediterranean.
The opening session was moderated by the Central Bank of Egypt and featured welcoming remarks by Hassan Abdalla, Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt, José Luis Escrivá, Governor of Banco de España, Meltem Büyükkarakaş, Deputy Secretary-General of the UfM, Luiz de Mello, Director of the Country Studies Branch at the Economics Department at the OECD, and Senén Florensa, Executive President of the IEMed.
Together, their interventions set a tone of renewed partnership, recognizing the Mediterranean’s shared challenges and the strategic potential of cooperation across its northern and southern shores.
