This book offers new perspectives on the economic development of the Middle East and North Africa region. Offering both theoretical studies and empirical country studies, it examines micro- and macroeconomic issues and provides deep insights into the development challenges and prospects of various countries in the region. The articles examine a wide range of development issues, including economic growth, natural resource use, food security, poverty and inequality, corruption and transparency, military spending, water and resource scarcity, agriculture and aid effectiveness, and other...

This volume addresses economic challenges and policy reforms in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Despite important resources and strategic advantages, the region suffers from a number of economic, social, and political problems that impedes normal economic take-off. The volume contains theoretical and empirical studies covering individual countries and panel studies addressing these economic challenges. Chapters address issues such as economic growth; poverty and inequality; subsidies and public finances policies; external trade and financial liberalization; remittances,...

This book examines the reduction of natural resource revenue dependency in resource-rich countries. Such countries experience lower economic growth due to factors of high volatility in commodity prices, reduction in accountability, undermining of the competitiveness of other economic sectors, and weak power of institutions. The analysis is based on an identified gap in the literature regarding how private sector development and public sector development affect the degree of dependency on resource revenue in natural resource-rich countries.

This book studies the interaction between...

This book is a collection of eight studies covering several areas pertinent to the current technological and banking services situation in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. The economy of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) is mainly dependent on oil revenue. The oil export revenue constitutes more than 90% of the government’s fiscal revenue. In addition to that, the public sector plays an excessive role in the economy, with public spending to GDP being over 70% while revenue from taxation constitutes less than 30% of total revenue. 

As the economy is not...

This book offers a comparative perspective on the new wave of revolutions in the MENA region. Recently, a new wave of revolutions has swept the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, comparable in some respects to the events of the Arab Spring. Revolutionary events have significantly changed the political regimes in Sudan, Algeria and Mali, while Lebanon and Iraq have also witnessed serious revolutionary episodes. Further, a new quality of protests has manifested in Iran, Egypt, Morocco and Jordan. 

This book analyzes the ideological roots, structures and operational methods of Jihadi intelligence and counterintelligence activities. Based on a substantive collection of data on terrorist attacks, communication channels, recruitment methods, manuals and statements released by various Jihadi groups, it examines and compares the nature, ideology and realities of Jihadi intelligence operations. The author, an expert on Jihadist ideology and paramilitary intelligence, compares the modus operandi of terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda and the IS with those of governmental intelligence...