THE MIDDLE EAST IN FLUX

A Time for Action

Jihad Azour

Countries of the Middle East and North Africa have an opportunity to pursue the reforms needed to ensure prosperity for decades to come

Point of View: Nascent Hopes

Marwan Muasher

The Arab uprisings may have set in motion a long-term transformation in the region

Getting There

Rabah Arezki

Oil-producing countries must focus on how to diversify their economies

The Cost of Conflict

Phil de Imus, Gaëlle Pierre, and Björn Rother

Middle East strife is exacting a heavy toll on regional economies

Technology’s Promise

Campbell MacDiarmid

Governments in the Middle East are hoping digital entrepreneurs will spur economic growth—and create jobs for young people

Bias and Barriers

Nazila Fathi

Raising women’s labor force participation in the Arab world could boost economic growth, but there are deeply rooted obstacles

When women do better, we all do better

In the Trenches:Overcoming Resistance

Ibrahim Saif discusses why building consensus is key to successful energy subsidy reform

Jordan’s new energy sources

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

The Presource Curse

James Cust and David Mihalyi

Oil discoveries can lead first to jubilation then to economic jeopardy

Uganda and oil’s promise

Global Finance Resets

Susan Lund and Philipp Härle

The decline of cross-border capital flows signals a stronger global financial system

Reaching Poor People

Caitlin Brown, Martin Ravallion, and Dominique van de Walle

Sobering evidence from Africa illustrates how hard it is to target antipoverty efforts well

Duflo on alleviating poverty

Abhijit Banerjee on the fight against poverty

Editor's Letter

Shifting Sands

This issue of F&D focuses on the Middle East and North Africa, taking stock of the region’s rapid transformation since the uprisings of 2011—a period that raised the hopes of millions for a better future and caused despair for millions of others.

Picture This

Heating Up

Maria Jovanović

Poor countries bear the brunt of climate change, but they are in the worst position to do so

Malawi’s Struggle with Climate Change

The Economics of Natural Disasters

Currency Notes

Critical Reception

John Bishop

The new Jane Austen banknote is not universally embraced

Book Reviews

Economics for the Common Good, Jean Tirole

How Global Currencies Work: Past, Present, and Future, Barry Eichengreen, Arnaud Mehl, and Livia Chiţu

Straight Talk on Trade, Dani Rodrik