The global lending institution is expected to play a key role in funneling international aid to the area in the next several years, as countries rebuild themselves after the political turmoil of the Arab Spring.

Although the IMF has in the past urged countries to control spending and adopt pro-business policies, many governments in the region have sharply increased spending on subsidies and social welfare this year, and the IMF’s first blog post took a sympathetic approach to the idea of helping the poor.

“Even rapid economic growth cannot continue to prevail unless it benefits everyone... and is accompanied by social policies providing necessary support to the poorest segments of society,” Masood Ahmed, the IMF’s director for the Middle East and Central Asia, wrote this week. (http://blog-montada.imf.org)

Accepting aid and advice from the IMF can be politically difficult for governments, involving issues of foreign influence and national sovereignty. In June Egypt rejected the offer of $3.2 billion in IMF loans, but its finance minister said this month that Cairo was considering the offer again.

The IMF said its new blog, called the Economic Window, would stimulate debate, offer analyses and potential solutions to economic issues, and provide Arabic commentaries on global topics. The Fund also runs blogs in English and Spanish.