(Credit: Magda Azab)
September 5, 2023/IMF
For centuries, Arab nations led the world in the pursuit of knowledge and in scientific innovation and were among the most economically advanced places on Earth. Today, the Middle East and North Africa are at a crossroads. We explore the choices these politically and economically diverse nations face in F&D magazine’s September issue, Time for Transformation.
“With economic leaders gathering soon in Marrakech, Morocco, for the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings, this issue of F&D explores how the Arab world can tap growth opportunities and rebuild its economic standing,” writes F&D editor-in-chief, Gita Bhatt. “Though the region’s challenges may be great, so are the potential and dynamism of its people and economic leaders.”
In this issue, leading experts from the region and beyond share their views on economic prospects and challenges. They discuss geopolitics, trade, debt, technology, the green transition, and much more.
FEATURED ARTICLES:
- Overhauling the Arab World’s Economies | Jihad Azour and Taline Koranchelian
- Debt Clouds over the Middle East | Adnan Mazarei
- Financing Peace and Stability | Franck Bousquet
- A Mercantile Middle East | Nasser Saidi and Aathira Prasad
- Unleashing Mideast Fintech | Amjad Ahmad
- North Africa’s Hydrogen Mirage | Rabah Arezki
- Breaking Barriers | Gary A. Seidman
Points of View:
- Shifting Sands | Vali Nasr
- Jordan’s Fiscal Ownership | Mohamad Al-Ississ
- Climate Financing That Puts People First | Rania Al-Mashat
Other Articles:
- The Drive for Trade Integration | Jihad Azour and Abebe Aemro Selassie
- Industrial Policy and the Growth Strategy Trilemma | Ruchir Agarwal
- Settling the Climate Debt | Benedict Clements, Sanjeev Gupta, and Jianhong Liu
Among F&D’s various sections, Nicholas Owen profiles Columbia University’s Minouche Shafik. Joshua Gans argues that assessing the power and pitfalls of artificial intelligence requires putting it into the hands of people.
Dilip Ratha explains how remittances provide stable income to millions of people in developing economies. Andrew Stanley illustrates how a demographic transformation in Africa has the potential to alter the world order. Analisa Bala explores how the United Arab Emirates uses its banknotes to honor the visionary behind the country’s ambitious space program.
Vivek Arora reviews Angus Deaton’s new book, Economics in America: An Immigrant Economist Explores the Land of Inequality. Prakash Loungani reviews Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity by Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson.
And check out our new feature—Kaleidoscope—which presents our view of global issues and data points.
