Growth in the Middle East and North Africa

April 1, 2004

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Dalia S Hakura. Growth in the Middle East and North Africa, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2004) accessed March 13, 2025

Disclaimer: This Working Paper should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF.The views expressed in this Working Paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy. Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to further debate

Summary

This paper analyzes the weak growth performance in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region during 1980-2000 using an empirical model of long-run growth. The relative importance of the factors affecting growth is shown to vary across 16 MENA countries. In GCC countries, where oil revenues are significant, large governments appear to have been a key factor stifling private-sector growth and impeding diversification. In other MENA countries poor institutional quality has held back growth. Political instability is also shown to have played a role. While the MENA region's growth differential with east Asia is explained well in the 1980s, this is less so in the 1990s.

Subject: Commodities, Government consumption, Income, International trade, National accounts, Oil, Production, Terms of trade, Total factor productivity

Keywords: Conflicts, Country, East Africa, East Asia, Economic growth, GCC, GCC country, Government, Government consumption, Growth differential, Income, Institutions, Mena, MENA country, MENA subgroup, Middle East, Middle East and North Africa, North Africa, Oil, Oil country, Terms of trade, Total factor productivity, WP

Publication Details

Pages:

37
Volume:

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DOI:

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Issue:

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Series:

Working Paper No. 2004/056
Stock No:

WPIEA0562004
ISBN:

9781451847734
ISSN:

1018-5941

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