Download or read book Trade and Innovation in MENA written by Matteo Ficarra and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper examines trade participation and innovation activities and how they are intertwined in the Middle East and North Africa region. While the level of trade participation of firms in the region is similar to other peer economies, innovation rates are particularly low. Many productive firms, especially smaller firms, might not be able to reap the scale and efficiency benefits from trade and innovation activity because of the weak business environment in the region. The paper shows that innovative firms tend to be more productive when they trade, while exporters tend to grow faster (in terms of sales) when they also invest in innovation. In addition, the use of foreign-licensed technology appears to have a key role in innovation, even after controlling for the effects of trade participation and foreign ownership. The paper also finds that traders and innovative firms were more likely to adapt to the COVID-19 crisis and the associated sharp sales shock. Overall, the results confirm the importance of international technology diffusion in the innovation process through access to foreign markets.
Download or read book Trade and Innovation in the Middle East and North Africa written by Matteo Ficarra and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Participation in international trade goes hand-in-hand with innovation in the private sector in the Middle East and the North Africa, according to data collected from 6 000 companies. International trade is a key determinant of the competitiveness and innovation of firms in the Middle East and North Africa. In Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia and the West Bank and Gaza, firms that trade in international markets tend to innovate more, and trade grows faster when the firms invest in innovation. Trade with developed economies and access to information and know-how through participation in international markets can help firms in the Middle East and North Africa catch up with other regions and close the innovation gap. Improving customs and trade regulations can increase access to international markets to a larger share of firms. The Enterprise Surveys, conducted by the EIB, EBRD and the World Bank, provide insight into what lies beneath the region's relatively slow growth, with a focus on the reasons for stagnating productivity and inadequate accumulation of human and physical capital in the private sector. This is the sixth of nine working papers supporting the full report: Unlocking sustainable growth in the Middle East and North Africa private sector.
Download or read book Trade Policy Developments in the Middle East and North Africa written by Bernard M. Hoekman and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2000-01-01 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "While very diverse in many respects, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries nevertheless also share some common characteristics, including a number of important shared challenges for policymakers."The Middle East and North Africa region has great potential for economic growth and prosperity in the 21st century. Yet, this potential will not be realized unless governments and private sector leaders in the region forge partnerships for development. An indispensable resource for all those working within the international development community, especially within the Middle East and North Africa region, Trade Policy Developments in the Middle East and North Africa offers policy and institutional alternatives to help both parties achieve that goal.This volume describes and analyzes recent trade policy developments in the Middle East and North Africa. Contributorsalmost all economists from the regionreview recent trends in trade performance, assess current trade and investment regimes, and discuss some of the emerging microeconomic policy challenges that confront governments and firms seeking to export and trade. Topics addressed include the need and scope for using regional integration and economic free zones as a tool of development, mobilization of non-trade tax bases, efficient enforcement of product standards to ensure health and safety of citizens, and implementation of modern information technologies to facilitate customs clearance.This book is the second in a series from the Mediterranean Development Forum, a partnership of 10 Middle East and North Africa Region think tanks and the World Bank Institute. This volume will be of interest to development specialists, policymakers, and investors.
Download or read book The Economics of the Middle East and North Africa MENA written by Joseph Pelzman and published by World Scientific Publishing Company. This book was released on 2012-06-26 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is a large, complex, and diverse region, which faces a wide range of economic issues. The MENA group includes Algeria, Bahrain, Cyprus, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. This book uses analytical tools drawn from the trade, labor, finance, and development literature to critically analyze and compare these countries' economic policies. The approach taken in this book is to focus on the economic policies and institutional arrangements which have evolved in MENA and which may serve to explain the differences in each country's economic performance. The key objective of the book is to unravel the context-specific variety of growth-promoting policies within MENA rather than focus on specific countries. This book stresses that the poor performance of Arab MENA can be chiefly explained by their aversion to a Western paradigm of market economics. In the advanced industrial countries and in Israel, “globalization” is largely viewed in economic terms — the free movement of goods, services, labor and capital across borders. In the Arab MENA, however, “globalization” is viewed in largely ideological terms and has been regarded as a new version of imperialism. Consequently, the Arab MENA region remains one of the most un-globalized regions in the world. The book serves as both a textbook and a summary of the very large literature on MENA. It examines the following economic realities of the region and compares them across the MENA economies: Technology gap and comparative developmentThe value of education and human capital developmentWater and food securityThe economics and politics of oilPopulation growth, role of gender, and labor mobilityThe role of the state as economic actorThe economic value of democracyThe prospects for regional integration
Download or read book Knowledge Economies in the Middle East and North Africa written by Jean-Eric Aubert and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2003-01-01 with total page 94 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has been facing considerable economic challenges. Left behind by the industrial revolution, overly dependent on oil resources, and on the fringes of the globalization process, a number of MENA countries have embarked on structural reforms to overcome economic stagnation, mounting unemployment, and increasing poverty. At the same time, there is growing awareness worldwide that the knowledge revolution offers new opportunities for growth resulting from the availability of information and communication technologies and from the advent of a new form of global economic development rooted in the concept of the knowledge economy, which is based on the creation, acquisition, distribution, and use of knowledge. This book, developed from papers prepared for a World Bank sponsored conference, assesses the challenges confronting the regionA's countries and analyzes their readiness for the knowledge economy based on a set of indicators. It provides quantitative analysis to help benchmark the countries against worldwide knowledge economy trends, identifies key implementation issues, and presents relevant policy experiences. The basic policy elements that underpin a strategy to prepare for a knowledge-based economy are discussed, including: the renovation of education systems, the creation of a climate conducive to innovation, and the development of an efficient telecommunications infrastructure as the foundation of a new era. The formulation of national visions and strategies is also discussed. Examples from the region and other parts of the world illustrate the chapters. A set of data that makes it possible to benchmark and position countriesA' readiness for the knowledge economy is presented in an appendix.
Download or read book Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation in the Middle East written by Zgheib, Philippe W. and published by IGI Global. This book was released on 2017-01-10 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the modern globalized business world, entrepreneurial success can be more difficult to achieve. Innovativeness, effective decision-making, and a drive for success are just a few factors influencing entrepreneurial behavior. Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation in the Middle East is a comprehensive reference source for the latest scholarly material on the analysis of entrepreneurial activities in the framework of cultural diversity. Highlighting crucial perspectives and topics in business contexts, such as job satisfaction, intrapreneurship, and corporate governance, this book is ideally designed for academics, professionals, practitioners, and students interested in business enterprises in the Arab culture.
Download or read book Private Sector Innovations and Technological Growth in the Mena Region written by Maryam Ebrahimi and published by Information Science Reference. This book was released on 2018-12-20 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This book presents an in-depth description of innovation and technology management in the private sector of the MENA region countries. It also contains a comprehensive coverage of all important concepts of innovation and technology management in the private sector of the MENA region countries"--
Download or read book Trade Investment and Development in the Middle East and North Africa written by Dipak Das Gupta and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2003-01-01 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is a large potential for expanding trade in the Middle East and North Africa region. This work discusses ways forward for trade integration, capturing the diversity of country experiences within the region without losing the generality of principles involved.
Download or read book Market Dynamics and Productivity in Developing Countries written by Khalid Sekkat and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2009-11-25 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To what degree are trade liberalization, productivity, and economic growth correlated? Can economic policies designed to encourage competition and curtail industry protection result in large-scale improvements, such as increased innovation and reduced unemployment? After 20 years of economic reform in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), economic performance is still lagging behind many regions of the world. Even in those countries that are the most advanced in implementing reforms, including Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia, industries with low productivity growth and high market power continue to dominate. Moreover, the termination of the Multi-Fiber Agreement and the negotiations concerning further liberalization of trade in agricultural products (under the framework of the World Trade Organization) put these and other countries under pressure of fierce competition from emerging nations. Recent empirical evidence on the impact of reforms in a number of developing countries shows that such persistence of inefficiency and market power is specific to MENA. Showcasing in-depth analyses from Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, and Turkey (with comparative data from Asia and Latin America), this book focuses on the dynamics of firm entry and exit to help explain the low productivity of the region. The results suggest a number of policy recommendations designed to foster competition, which, in turn, would contribute to innovation, productivity growth, and improved return on capital investments. The book not only reveals important correlations among policy and market factors in MENA, but suggests fruitful areas of research in other developing regions of the world.
Download or read book Middle East and North Africa Investment Policy Perspectives written by OECD and published by OECD Publishing. This book was released on 2021-03-30 with total page 253 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Middle East and North Africa Investment Policy Perspectives highlights the considerable progress in investment policies made by the region’s governments over the past decade. Yet, the reform momentum needs to be sustained and deepened for the benefits of investment to be shared with society at large and for growth to be sustainable, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting global economic upheaval.
Download or read book Market Dynamics and Productivity in Developing Countries written by Khalid Sekkat and published by Springer. This book was released on 2009-12-14 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To what degree are trade liberalization, productivity, and economic growth correlated? Can economic policies designed to encourage competition and curtail industry protection result in large-scale improvements, such as increased innovation and reduced unemployment? After 20 years of economic reform in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), economic performance is still lagging behind many regions of the world. Even in those countries that are the most advanced in implementing reforms, including Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia, industries with low productivity growth and high market power continue to dominate. Moreover, the termination of the Multi-Fiber Agreement and the negotiations concerning further liberalization of trade in agricultural products (under the framework of the World Trade Organization) put these and other countries under pressure of fierce competition from emerging nations. Recent empirical evidence on the impact of reforms in a number of developing countries shows that such persistence of inefficiency and market power is specific to MENA. Showcasing in-depth analyses from Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, and Turkey (with comparative data from Asia and Latin America), this book focuses on the dynamics of firm entry and exit to help explain the low productivity of the region. The results suggest a number of policy recommendations designed to foster competition, which, in turn, would contribute to innovation, productivity growth, and improved return on capital investments. The book not only reveals important correlations among policy and market factors in MENA, but suggests fruitful areas of research in other developing regions of the world.
Download or read book International Trade with the Middle East and North Africa written by Hossein Esmaeili and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2024-06-28 with total page 367 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides an interdisciplinary analysis of trade relations with the Middle East and Arab countries from the perspectives of law, business, policy and culture in the Middle East and the Arab world and their interaction with the wider world, particularly Western countries. The rapidly evolving economy of the Middle East and the Arab region is undergoing significant change, and establishing modern foreign ownership law, robust company, business and investment regulations, modern legal professions while keeping its basic traditional and Islamic principles. This book covers a number of important theoretical and practical aspects of commercial and trade relationships and law. It examines case studies of trade and investment relations between Arab and Middle Eastern countries and Western Countries, such as Australia, UK and US, touching on such topics as corporation law, arbitration and foreign judgments, future mobility and disruptive technology law, financial services law, charity law, trusts and cultural law. Exploring emerging trade and investment ties between Arab and Middle Eastern countries and Western countries, it will be of interest to students, academics and practitioners with an interest in international trade and investment law.
Download or read book Startup Rising written by Christopher M. Schroeder and published by St. Martin's Press. This book was released on 2013-08-13 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Startup Rising presents a surprising look at the surge of entrepreneurship that accompanied the uprisings in the Middle East, and why it's the new best place for Western investment and opportunity. Despite the world's elation at the Arab Spring, shockingly little has changed politically in the Middle East; even frontliners Egypt and Tunisia continue to suffer repression, fixed elections, and bombings, while Syria descends into civil war. But in the midst of it all, a quieter revolution has begun to emerge, one that might ultimately do more to change the face of the region: entrepreneurship. As a seasoned angel investor in emerging markets, Christopher M. Schroeder was curious but skeptical about the future of investing in the Arab world. Travelling to Dubai, Cairo, Amman, Beirut, Istanbul, and even Damascus, he saw thousands of talented, successful, and intrepid entrepreneurs, all willing to face cultural, legal, and societal impediments inherent to their worlds. Equally important, he saw major private equity firms, venture capitalists, and tech companies like Google, Intel, Cisco, Yahoo, LinkedIn, and PayPal making significant bets, despite the uncertainty in the region. With Startup Rising, he marries his own observations with the predictions of these tech giants to offer a surprising and timely look at the second stealth revolution in the Middle East-one that promises to reinvent it as a center of innovation and progress.
Download or read book Regional Economic Integration in the Middle East and North Africa written by Mustapha Rouis and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2012-12-11 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book summarizes the constraints to and opportunities for deepening economic integration within the MENA region and beyond. Trade and investment reform are discussed together with physical connectivity, cross-border trade facilitation, infrastructure networks, and the vital role of logistics.
Download or read book Expanding Opportunities for the Next Generation written by Safaa El-Kogali and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2015-01-28 with total page 343 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Early childhood is the most important stage of human development yet in Middle East and North Africa countries there is little research and inadequate investment in this crucial stage of life. This book covers risk, protective factors, policies and programs that can address inequality and shortfalls in the early years of life.
Download or read book U S Trade and Investment in the Middle East and North Africa Overview and Issues for Congress written by Rebecca M. Nelson and published by Createspace Independent Pub. This book was released on 2013-03-13 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: U.S. interest in deepening economic ties with certain countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has increased in light of the political unrest and transitions that have swept the region since early 2011. Policymakers in Congress and the Obama Administration are discussing ways that U.S. trade and investment can bolster long-term economic growth in the region. In May 2011, President Obama announced the MENA “Trade and Investment Partnership Initiative” (MENA-TIP), through which various federal government agencies are engaged in efforts to enhance trade and investment with the region. Such activities are in line with longstanding U.S. trade policy goals and measures. Some Members of Congress have called for deeper economic ties with MENA countries undergoing political change. However, continued political uncertainty and changing security environments in the region have prompted greater scrutiny of U.S. engagement. This report analyzes policy approaches that the Congress might consider concerning U.S.-MENA trade and investment. MENA Economies and Integration in the Global Economy - Economic performance in the MENA as a whole lags behind other regions in the world in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (living standards), employment, and economic diversification, despite the fact that several MENA countries are major producers of oil and natural gas. Limited integration in the global economy is frequently cited as an obstacle to the region's overall economic development. MENA's trade with the world is concentrated in a small number of products (oil exports and imports of manufactured goods) and among a small number of trading partners (particularly the European Union). Tariffs also remain high in some MENA countries and intra-regional trade and investment flows are relatively low. With regard to the United States, the MENA region accounts for less than 5% of U.S. total trade and 1% of U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI) outflows. U.S. businesses face a number of non-tariff barriers, such as lack of transparency, bureaucratic red tape, corruption, weak rule of law, and differences in business cultures. Policy Approaches and Challenges - Current U.S. trade and investment policies with MENA countries are quite varied. The United States has free trade agreements (FTAs) with five MENA countries (Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, and Oman), but more limited ties with other countries, such as Libya, which is not a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Important exceptions to overall U.S. trade policy objectives in the region are Iran and Syria, which are both subject to trade sanctions. Analysts disagree about the merits of deepening U.S. trade and investment ties with the MENA region. Some analysts maintain that new trade and investment agreements help anchor domestic reforms, such as in governance and rule of law; support sound economic growth; are a costeffective way to support transitioning countries in an environment of budgetary constraints; and could promote U.S. exports and investment. Others argue that the empirical record between economic openness and democracy is weak and that it is unclear whether protesters in various Arab countries favor more economic liberalization, which they sometimes associate with corruption, inflation, and inequality. They also argue that political uncertainty in the region, such as the fluidity of Egypt's political transition, merits a “wait-and-see” approach before proceeding with substantial policy changes.
Download or read book Economics Of The Middle East And North Africa Mena The Second Edition written by Joseph Pelzman and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2018-11-29 with total page 534 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is a large, complex, and diverse region, which faces a wide range of economic issues. The MENA group includes Algeria, Bahrain, Cyprus, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.The purpose of this book is not to provide a country-by-country study, but rather to deal with general economic themes found in Arab MENA and Israel, such as problems associated with growth and structural change; the role of State-intervention in country-specific local markets; labor market imperfections driven by gender bias; technology gaps and endogenous growth; capital market development in a restricted financial model based on religious constraints; savings and investment behaviour in a model of state subsidization and intervention designed to control local development; and the role of the state in constraining private sector activity. Data sources used in this second edition include country-specific data, the World Bank, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.The new material in this second edition includes a discussion of the impending and inevitable leadership changes which will occur throughout Arab MENA over the next decades. The evidence to support this evaluation is based on the current lack of transparent markets; the lack of inclusive macro policies, the impact of distortionary micro economic policies across all sectors; and the impact of anti-globalization and xenophobia on innovation. Old chapters are revised with updated data, a discussion of the role of the 'State' and 'Oligarchies' in the economies of most of the MENA countries, an in-depth exploration of the investment in human capital and growth and an identification of the most important binding constraints to economic development in Arab MENA and Israel.This book serves as both a textbook and a summary of the very large literature on MENA. It examines the economic realities of the region and compares them across the MENA economies. It should be stressed that this book is not about the latest political debate on who did what to whom in the Middle East or in North Africa. The focus is on economics, not political economics.
