WSJ& #39;s @JoshZumbrun has the story on political manipulation of the World Bank Doing Business data.

The Saudi angle is still confusing...

1/ https://www.wsj.com/articles/world-bank-delays-report-on-national-competitiveness-rankings-amid-concerns-of-data-manipulation-11598554654?st=yiwbivwi57h7wcb&reflink=article_copyURL_share">https://www.wsj.com/articles/...

Note the Saudis *pay* the World Bank for consulting services to improve their "investment climate" -- creating a potential conflict of interest with their ranking in Doing Business.
https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/gcc/brief/saudi-arabia-country-program

2/">https://www.worldbank.org/en/countr...

Coincidentally perhaps (and shortly after Trump& #39;s nominee David Malpass became World Bank president, and agreed to attend MBS& #39;s "Davos in the Desert"), Saudi Arabia was crowned as the world& #39;s "top reformer" on Doing Business.
https://twitter.com/charlesjkenny/status/1299062847503298560

3/">https://twitter.com/charlesjk...

Confusion enters because, as my colleague @vijramachandran notes, the WSJ reports that Saudi Arabia& #39;s Doing Business ranking *fell* over five years from 49th to 62nd.

But I think @charlesjkenny resolves the confusion here:
https://twitter.com/charlesjkenny/status/1299067065765158914

4/">https://twitter.com/charlesjk...

In sum, the World Bank has finally acknowledged deliberate manipulation of Doing Business. And it appears this was done specifically to benefit the Saudis. Who paid for the honor. And got a big photo op for MBS with the Trump-nominated WB president.

Thoroughly corrupt.

5/5