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An Interview with Kamal Benali, Founder and Chairman of Efficient Network
A light-footprint model, deep roots in Iraq, growing strength in Brussels and Geneva: the founder of Efficient Network reflects on the reasons behind the firm's success and its ambitions across Africa and the Middle East.
ReadTanger Med, a bridge that leans north
In 2025, Tanger Med handled 11.1 million containers, a continental record. But a bridge is judged by both its banks, and the southern one remains largely untapped.
African debt: sovereignty at stake
Every African now spends seventy dollars a year on interest payments on public debt alone, 1.8 times what the continent spends on health.
Why the Middle East and Africa reward patience
In the Middle East and Africa, major projects are decided on the basis of relationships built over time, not a single tender. The companies that succeed are those that arrive early and stay.
Debt-for-climate swaps: scale up or give up
Africa's external debt service is more than double the climate finance the continent receives, while debt-for-climate swaps remain marginal. The obstacle is neither technical nor financial: it is political.
Digital sovereignty: a partnership with Europe, neither American nor Chinese
Africa needs $61 billion a year to close its digital infrastructure gap, yet barely $15 billion was invested in 2024. Digital sovereignty means public registries hosted in Kigali, Accra or Nairobi, not in a data centre in California.
Critical minerals: Africa must process its resources at home
Africa holds 30% of the world's critical mineral reserves but captures less than a tenth of the value added in these sectors. It now favours local processing over raw ore exports, and invites Europe to invest alongside it.
Youth in the Middle East and North Africa: financial inclusion for employment
In 2023, 38.5% of young women in North Africa and the Middle East were unemployed. Financial inclusion can become one of the most direct ways to open up access to work for them.
Sovereign wealth funds: a new approach to foreign investment
Sovereign wealth funds no longer simply invest surpluses. To attract their investment, companies now need to understand the economic goals of the states that own them.
Making a public-private partnership with a state work
A public-private partnership succeeds when it meets both the state's objectives and investors' return requirements. Structuring it requires understanding what each side expects.
Kamal Benali: The Architect of Economic Bridges Between Europe, Africa and the Middle East
Founder and Chairman of Efficient Network, Kamal Benali embodies a new generation of bridge-builders between continents, championing North-South economic diplomacy rooted in respect and trust.
Efficient Network at the Ocean Summit in Nice: an Engaged Presence Serving Decision-Makers and Institutions
At the Ocean Summit in Nice, Efficient Network supported institutional actors and strengthened its institutional exchanges with heads of state and international decision-makers around sustainable development.
Efficient Network Engages at the Launch of the IEA World Energy Outlook 2024
Efficient Network took part in the International Energy Agency's launch of the World Energy Outlook 2024, contributing its expertise on electrification, hydrogen hubs and energy equity.
A Practical Approach to Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in Africa
Africa is shaping digital transformation on its own terms. Built on local realities, youth talent and existing systems, Digital Public Infrastructure offers a path to inclusive growth, innovation and sovereignty.
Efficient Network Returns to the Commodities Global Summit 2025
Building on its 2023 presence, Efficient Network Consultants rejoined industry leaders at the FT Commodities Global Summit 2025 in Lausanne, sharing forward-looking analysis on commodity finance, ESG integration, and risk management.
Commodities Review 2024
Energy efficiency and resource depletion defined 2024: diverging fortunes for copper and uranium, peaking shale, a precious-metals bull run, and an unexpected coal rebound.
Global Commodities Forum 2024: A Case for Sustainable Development
At UNCTAD's Global Commodities Forum 2024, Efficient Network made the case for equitable value chains as demand for critical minerals climbs through the energy transition.
Perspective: China's Role in Africa's Development
China's engagement with Africa is not fading but transforming in depth, shifting from heavy infrastructure toward industrialisation, targeted debt management, and the internationalisation of the renminbi.
Strengthening Trade Resilience: Efficient Network at the Global Supply Chain Forum
At UNCTAD's 2024 Global Supply Chain Forum in Barbados, Efficient Network shared its expertise in commodities logistics and the decarbonisation of value chains.
Efficient Network at Mare Forum: Charting the Future of Maritime Transport
Efficient Network joined the 7th Mare Forum in Geneva on 19 March 2024, engaging maritime leaders on energy transition, industry growth, and decarbonisation strategy.
International Energy Week 2024: Shaping the Global Energy Transition
Efficient Network joined 30+ sessions at International Energy Week 2024 in London, engaging with industry leaders on energy scenarios, financing, innovation, and the path to a just transition.