The MENA Scholarship Programme aims to contribute to the societal development of the participating countries in the Middle East and North Africa region. It also seeks to build capacity within organisations by enabling employees to participate in short courses in various fields of study.
The following courses are eligible for the next scholarship application round:
2025
Integrity and Anti-Corruption
Local Economic Development
Multilevel Water Governance
Gender Responsive Governance
Fiscal Decentralisation and Local Finance
Digital Transformation in the Public Sector
2026
Local Security and Peacebuilding
Citizen Participation and Inclusive Governance
Inclusive Service Delivery and WASH
Urban Governance: Resilient and Smart Cities
Local Climate Response
Migration and Local Authorities
Eligibility for the MENA Scholarship Programme
You are a professional working in one of the eligible countries: Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman and Tunisia.
You are 45 years old or younger on the application deadline, plus two weeks;
You are not employed by an organisation that has its own means of staff development. E.g. international development organisations or private companies;
You have a minimum of two years of work experience;
You speak and understand the English language well (all programmes are in English);
You have written support from your employer to participate in the programme and to implement the Back Home Action Plan.
You are working in one of the priority areas matching the thematic approach of the MENA Scholarship Programme in your country.
Application Procedure:
1. Check your eligibility
Are you eligible for a MENA Scholarship (MSP)?
2. Prepare the answers to the motivation questions
In the application form, you will have to answer three questions:
What is the issue or problem you want to address in your country?
How will this training course enable you to address this issue?
How will you address this issue with your position within your organisation?
The answers to the three motivation questions should clearly indicate the link between your organisation and position on the one hand, and (elements of) the Country Focus on the other hand. Be specific and base your answers on factual information. Refrain from copying information from our website.
