The fourth edition of the Arab Financial Forum, held in Tunisia on October 6-7, 2026, brought together participants who emphasized the need to develop public budget mechanisms in Arab countries. The forum, organized by the Ministry of Finance, the government of Sharjah, and the Arab Organization for Administrative Development, aims to enhance financial resilience and sustainability, and improve the efficiency of public budgets. The forum's theme, "Financial Resilience and Sustainability: Designing Budgets that Adapt and Maximize Value for Money," reflects the pressing need for Arab countries to adapt to growing geopolitical, economic, and climate-related challenges.
The forum's discussions focused on ways to strengthen financial resilience and sustainability, and improve the efficiency of public budgets. This can be achieved by transitioning from mere resource management to comprehensive financial performance management. The participants highlighted the importance of developing strategic and integrated systems for managing risks and ensuring the sustainability of resources and continuity of public services. According to the head of the Minister of Finance's office, Zouheir Attallah, the current international context, characterized by growing geopolitical and climate-related uncertainties, requires a rethink of the concept of public budgets.
Attallah emphasized that public budgets are no longer just accounting records of revenues and expenditures but have become integrated strategic systems for managing risks and ensuring the sustainability of resources and continuity of public services. He added that achieving these goals relies on two interconnected pillars: financial flexibility, which enables states to quickly adjust tax policies and public expenditures to respond to emergencies, and financial sustainability, which enables states to meet their current and future obligations. The reform of public finances in Tunisia is based on modern management that focuses on results, transparency, and accountability.
The Director-General of the Arab Organization for Administrative Development, Nasser Al-Hatlani Al-Qahtani, highlighted that public finances worldwide face simultaneous pressures, including rising financing costs, growing social and development commitments, and frequent geopolitical shocks. He called for a fundamental change in the approach to managing public finances, emphasizing that the challenge is no longer limited to preparing a balanced budget but has become a matter of developing public management that transitions from resource management to comprehensive financial performance management.
Al-Qahtani stressed that the diversity of economic structures in the Arab region requires not adopting a uniform model but rather adapting practices to the specificities of each country. This can be achieved by establishing a results-based budget, enhancing institutional capacities in risk management and shock absorption, and leveraging data and artificial intelligence in financial decision-making. He also called for adopting the principles of expenditure efficiency and "value for money" in all stages of budget preparation, including resources and public procurement.
The Arab Financial Forum for the Sharjah Public Finance Award represents an Arab space for cooperation and exchange of experiences between Arab administrations to improve public resource management and keep pace with reforms in financial systems. The forum's discussions also highlighted the importance of transparency, fair competition in public procurement, and the fair disposal of resources in enhancing the trust of citizens and institutions in public finance systems.
The third edition of the forum was held in October 2025 in the Moroccan city of Tangier under the slogan "Distinctive Experiences in Developing Public Finances." The Arab Organization for Administrative Development and partner institutions focus on exchanging best practices in governance, digital transformation, and developing public finance management methods. The forum's outcomes and recommendations aim to support Arab countries in developing more flexible, sustainable, and result-oriented public budgets.
Key points
- The Arab Financial Forum calls for developing public budget mechanisms in Arab countries to be more flexible, sustainable, and focused on results and impact.
- The forum emphasizes the importance of transparency, fair competition in public procurement, and the fair disposal of resources in enhancing the trust of citizens and institutions in public finance systems.
- The forum's discussions highlight the need for Arab countries to adapt to growing geopolitical, economic, and climate-related challenges by enhancing financial resilience and sustainability.
