Economic Development in the MENA Region: New Perspectives (Perspectives on Development in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region)

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 relevant issues. The volume is aimed at scholars in economic and development studies as well as policy-makers and investors interested in the economic development of the MENA region. Contents About the Editor 1 Introduction 2 Quality of Institutions and the Macro-Return to Education: The Case of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Data and Measurement Issues 2.2.1 Economic Data 2.2.2 Institutional Data 2.2.3 Descriptive Analysis 2.3 The Econometric Analysis 2.3.1 The Model 2.3.2 Econometric Consideration 2.4 Results and Discussions 2.4.1 Preliminary Estimation: Regional Difference in the Return to Education 2.4.2 Results with Institutional Indicators 2.5 Conclusion and Policy Implications Appendix 1: Countries in the Sample Appendix 2: Statistics References 3 Short- and Long-Run Causality Between Remittances and Economic Growth in MENA Countries: A Panel ARDL Approach 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Model, Data, and Methodology 3.3 Results and Discussion 3.3.1 Conclusions and Recommendations References 4 Asymmetric Impact of Oil Price Shocks on Tourism: Evidence from Selected MENA Countries 4.1 Introduction 4.2 A Brief Review of Previous Studies 4.3 Econometric Methodology 4.4 Empirical Findings and Discussion 4.5 Conclusions and Policy Implications References 5 Youth Unemployment and Quality of Education in the MENA: An Empirical Investigation 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Review of Literature on the Link Between Education and Youth Unemployment 5.3 Research Design and Results 5.3.1 Data and Model 5.3.2 Results and Discussion 5.3.3 Conclusion and Policy Implications References 6 Military Spending and Economic Development: Evidence from the MENA Region 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Military Spending and Economic Development: A Literature Overview 6.3 Military Spending in MENA Countries 6.3.1 Ethnic and Religious Tensions, Politics, External Conflicts and Military Spending 6.3.2 Military Spending and Natural Resources in the MENA Region 6.3.3 Military Spending and Economic Development Indicators in the MENA Region 6.3.4 Military Spending and Institutional Indicators in MENA 6.4 Conclusions and Policy Implications References 7 Foreign Aid, Development, and International Migration: An Exploration of the MENA Region 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Literature Review: Aid, Development, and International Migration 7.3 Key Characteristics of the MENA Region 7.4 Foreign Aid to the MENA Region 7.4.1 Donor Motives 7.4.2 Aid Effectiveness 7.5 Aid and Migration in the MENA Context: Current and Future Research 7.5.1 Data Analysis 7.5.2 Future Research 7.6 Conclusion and Policy Implications References 8 The Resource Curse: How Can Oil Shape MENA Countries’ Economic Development? 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Curse or Blessing: What Does the Literature Tell Us About Natural Resources? 8.3 The Resource Curse Transmission Channels 8.3.1 Economic Transmission Channels 8.3.2 Political Transmission Channels 8.4 Natural Resources and Economic Development in MENAs 8.4.1 Natural Resources in MENAs: The Existing Literature 8.4.2 Are MENAs Cursed by Their Natural Resources? Non-inclusiveness of Growth and Institutional Weaknesses 8.5 Conclusion and Policy Implications References 9 Toward a Circular Economy in the MENA Region: Insights from the Water-Food Nexus 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Resource Circularity and Waste Utilization in the Circular Economy-Economic Development Nexus 9.3 Scarcity and Integration in the MENA Region’s Water-Food Nexus 9.4 An Example of a Salient Model: Wastewater Recycling for Agricultural Use 9.4.1 Current Directions of Wastewater Reuse for Enhanced Food Security 9.4.2 State-of-Play and Challenges in Forerunner Countries 9.5 Discussion of Crosscutting Issues 9.5.1 Some Missing Vital Rs: Rethink, Refuse and Reduce 9.5.2 Socioeconomics of Incentives and Participation 9.5.3 Relevance of Strategies and Integration 9.6 Conclusions and Policy Implications References 10 Globalization and Environmental Pollution: Where Does the MENA Region Stand? 10.1 Introduction 10.2 An Overview for MENA Countries 10.2.1 Economic, Social, and Political Globalization 10.2.2 Environmental Issues in the Region 10.3 Impacts of Globalization on Pollution Level 10.3.1 Theoretical Background 10.3.2 Empirical Background 10.3.3 Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient Analysis 10.4 Conclusion and Policy Implications References 11 ICT and Growth in MENA Countries: What Are the Involved Transmission Channels? 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Sample and Methodology 11.2.1 The Econometric Approach 11.2.2 The Sample Characteristics 11.3 Results and Discussion 11.4 Conclusions and Recommendations Appendix References Author Index Subject Index