Arab Economy Research Papers

It is not surprising that Mubarak's administration " overlooked " the social explosion. Indeed, statistical data righteously claimed that the country was developing very successfully. Economic growth rates were high (even in the crisis... more

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- by Andrey Korotayev
- •
- 17
  Political Anthropology, Revolutions, Egyptian History, Egypt

The question of historical roots of socio-economic underdevelopment of the Arab region has been a perennial theme in the development studies in the Global South. While some scholars highlight the long durée effect of the Ottoman... more

The question of historical roots of socio-economic underdevelopment of the Arab region has been a perennial theme in the development studies in the Global South. While some scholars highlight the long durée effect of the Ottoman institutional legacy, others place the blame on the legacy of exploitation and expropriation of the colonial practices in the region. The article offers a through critical review of the path dependency account of underdevelopment that traced it back to the legacy of the Ottoman Empire. I depart from the colonial polices that laid the groundwork for the post-colonial elites to usher in their populist model of state capitalism and bring out the agency of the post-colonial elites that altered the socio-economic foundation of the political class and transformed processes of capital accumulation and labour commodification. I argue that the processes of state-building accompanied by social engineering measures represented a ‘critical juncture’ that impinged on state autonomy and its bureaucratic capacity and left indelible imprint on development strategies. The article unpacks three mechanisms that proved consequential for economic policies outcomes: 1) the degree of elite autonomy to formulate policies; 2) the power of social classes to contest economic policies; and 3) the capacity of state bureaucracy to implement policies and allocate resources.

In analyzing state’s domineering position in the Arab region, a large corpus of the exiting comparative political economy literature tends to reify the state and separates it from domestic social contexts by reducing its power to the coercive capacity. A critical political economy perspective, that examines the interaction between “elite deals” and “social bargains”, offers a nuanced account for varied development and socio-economic records in the region. The article also generates provisional hypotheses and points to different research areas that have not been addressed adequately or conclusively in the available political economy literature.

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- by Shimaa Hatab
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- 9
  Development Studies, Neoliberalism, Arab Economy, State-Building

Post-Washington Consensus- Democracy supports Sustainable Growth & Development

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- by Jamal Al-Homsi
- •
- 9
  Political Economy, Economic Growth, Good Governance, Arab Economy

As is the case elsewhere in the world, Arab countries have followed neoliberal doctrine to different degrees and for different reasons. Also like in the rest of the world, these policies have influenced development processes, local... more

As is the case elsewhere in the world, Arab countries have followed
neoliberal doctrine to different degrees and for different reasons. Also
like in the rest of the world, these policies have influenced development
processes, local economies, employment, state budgets, social security,
environment, poverty, health care and education. However, similar
to many developing countries, but unlike developed countries, Arab
countries lack established processes and traditions of democracy, rule
of law, human rights, gender equality, social security and environmental
protection.These circumstances make the negative effects of
neoliberalism even more harmful.
Neoliberalism has come in for increasing scrutiny and debate in Arab
countries since the Arab Spring, when large numbers of people protested,
under brutal and repressive conditions, against political, economic and
social injustice. Their main demands were equal economic and social rights, equality of opportunity and political liberty. The uprising surprised
and amazed pro-neoliberal governments and the financial institutions
(IMF and WB), who were reporting positively on economic performance
in the countries where revolts took place. However, critical observers
and scholars were already aware of these issues and could even have
predicted the uprisings in many Arab countries14.
Against this background, this book addresses various questions relating
to neoliberal economic policy and social justice in Arab countries,
including:
• How have neoliberal economic policies contributed to inequality,
social injustice and environmental destruction in Arab countries?
• What is the relationship between neoliberal economic policies
and the protests of 2011?
• Has neoliberalism - as promised - helped Arab countries improve
their competitiveness, attract private investment, increase
economic growth, create job opportunities and realise positive
balances in trade and finance?
• How can we explain growth in the informal economy alongside
neoliberal economic policies?
• Does the Arab Spring have any effect on neoliberal economic
policies?
• Given the criticisms of free market policies and international
economic institutions cited above, why do Arab countries
continue to borrow from the IMF, join the WTO and liberalise their
economies?
• Who has drawn up these policies and who actually benefits from
them?
• And finally: are there any alternative policies that could reduce
inequality and boost social justice?

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- by Salam Said and +1
  Gilbert Achcar
- •
- 5
  Development Economics, Political Economy, Social Justice, Arab Economy

It would be no exaggeration to say that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is reeling from a macroeconomic crisis, triggered by a collapse in oil prices since June 2014. After a period of approximately twenty months, the popular media began... more

En tenant compte des spécificités du monde arabe et du refus probable, au moins pendant quelques décennies, d’abandonner la monnaie nationale et par-là même de transférer la souveraineté monétaire à une entité supranationale, il est... more

How to Promote Sustainable Growth in the Arab World: Development Strategy and the Trap of Standard (WB/IMF) Recipes

تر ّ كز هذه الورقة الخلفيّة على تحليل تدّفقات ومخازين الأموال العربيّة، خاصّ ً ة البينيّة منها، وسبل تعزيز التكامل العربي المالي من أجل التنمية، ملقيّ ً ة بعض الضوء على متطّلبات تطوير المؤسّسات العربيّة المشتركة. وتخلص الورقة أوّ ً لا إلى... more

Arab Economy

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