Jeffrey B. Nugent – författare

This book identifies the differences in growth and development, and the various factors lying behind them, across both Middle East and North African (MENA) and East Asian countries over the 1960‒2020 period. It considers a very wide range of factors, compares initial situations, institutions, and government policies, the dynamic responses to changing circumstances, and discusses the inability of the governments of the MENA region to achieve not only political reform, but also the kinds of economic reform that would allow their citizens to prosper in an increasingly globalized world. The book focuses on Tunisia. Since its independence in 1956 until 2010, Tunisia had considerable success relative to many other MENA countries, but was somewhat less successful relative to East Asian countries. Since 2010, however, while transitioning away from autocracy to democracy, it has been in rather serious economic decline. The book highlights how both the factors identified as enabling Tunisia’s initial success and those leading to its subsequent decline can provide many useful insights for improving the management of economic development across the whole MENA region and perhaps also to developing countries throughout the world.

This book identifies the differences in growth and development, and the various factors lying behind them, across both Middle East and North African (MENA) and East Asian countries over the 1960‒2020 period. It considers a very wide range of factors, compares initial situations, institutions, and government policies, the dynamic responses to changing circumstances, and discusses the inability of the governments of the MENA region to achieve not only political reform, but also the kinds of economic reform that would allow their citizens to prosper in an increasingly globalized world. The book focuses on Tunisia. Since its independence in 1956 until 2010, Tunisia had considerable success relative to many other MENA countries, but was somewhat less successful relative to East Asian countries. Since 2010, however, while transitioning away from autocracy to democracy, it has been in rather serious economic decline. The book highlights how both the factors identified as enabling Tunisia’s initial success and those leading to its subsequent decline can provide many useful insights for improving the management of economic development across the whole MENA region and perhaps also to developing countries throughout the world.

After the oil discoveries of the early 1930s, Bahrain rapidly became an oil exporting country with a relatively high income per capita. More recently Bahrain has succeeded in diversifying its oil dominated economy by developing regional banking and other services, and a variety of light and heavy industries. Various circumstances have combined to make Bahrain a leader among the Arab Gulf States in the transformation of traditional Arabic tribal societies into modern social and economic structures. This book, first published in 1985, in exploring the past, present and possible futures of Bahrain and the Gulf, attempts to describe the nature of this transformation. It estimates to what extent Bahrain has merely an outward appearance of modernity, and explores the conflicts between the compelling power of modern values and the pervasive traditional religions. Bahrain is not typical of the Arab countries of the Gulf; it may, however, serve as a gauge of their current position and likely future. It will therefore be valuable to those interested in gaining more insight into the history and politics of the Middle East during this period of rapid change.

After the oil discoveries of the early 1930s, Bahrain rapidly became an oil exporting country with a relatively high income per capita. More recently Bahrain has succeeded in diversifying its oil dominated economy by developing regional banking and other services, and a variety of light and heavy industries. Various circumstances have combined to make Bahrain a leader among the Arab Gulf States in the transformation of traditional Arabic tribal societies into modern social and economic structures. This book, first published in 1985, in exploring the past, present and possible futures of Bahrain and the Gulf, attempts to describe the nature of this transformation. It estimates to what extent Bahrain has merely an outward appearance of modernity, and explores the conflicts between the compelling power of modern values and the pervasive traditional religions. Bahrain is not typical of the Arab countries of the Gulf; it may, however, serve as a gauge of their current position and likely future. It will therefore be valuable to those interested in gaining more insight into the history and politics of the Middle East during this period of rapid change.