Jean-Christophe Carret is the World Bank Country Director for the Middle East Department (Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria). Before this appointment, Mr. Carret was Country Director for the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Burundi and Sao Tome & Principe, based in Kinshasa (2018 to 2022), Country Manager for Laos (2017 to 2018) and Country Manager for the Central African Republic based in Bangui (2015 to 2017). Mr. Carret joined the World Bank Group in 2005 as a natural resources economist in the Africa Region. Before joining the World Bank Group in 2005, Mr. Carret worked at the Center for Industrial Economics at MINES ParisTech (formerly known as École des Mines) as a research economist specialized in environmental economics. A French national, Jean-Christophe Carret holds a PhD in economics from MINES ParisTech.