Middle East/North Africa
The succession challenge in GCC family businesses
Family businesses, the economic backbone of countries represented in the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), have to change their corporate governance in order to face
4 ways Uber impacts civil society in the Middle East
Uber is helping communities address key social challenges left void by sclerotic government institutions. Earlier this month, Uber announced plans to invest $250 million to expand its operations in the
Challenges for Libya’s oil sector
Libya’s oil sector faces a host of challenges. The failure of the Tripoli-based GNC and Tobruk governments to reach a unity peace deal last month is pushing the country into
Obama’s diplomatic shift in Syria
On Friday, President Obama announced that the United States is to deploy around 50 Special Forces troops to Syria, after repeatedly ruling out US “boots on the ground” action in
Egypt reforms civil service to attract investment
With bloated government weighing the country down, Egypt attempts to reform the civil service in order to attract much needed foreign investment. The rampant fall of Egypt’s foreign reserves, which
Iran’s military and economic investment in Syria
Since the early 1980s, Iran has invested substantial political and economic capital into Syria. Tehran will continue to support the Assad regime, acting as a counter-point alongside Russia to the
Team Obama’s Low-Risk, High-reward Move in Syria
Contrary to critics, Obama’s decision to deploy Special Operations troops to Syria is neither a giant step forward into a quagmire, nor a meaningless symbolic gesture. In fact, as far
Israeli-Palestinian tensions threaten regional overspill
As violence surrounding worshipping status at the Temple Mount/Noble Sanctuary grows, what are the chances of a regional conflict escalation and how can we understand the current tensions? The tragic
Three reasons behind Algeria’s stagnant tourism industry
Despite the Algerian government’s claim to make the tourism sector a priority, the country’s tourism industry is still almost inexistent. According to the Travel and Tourism Council, in 2015 Algeria
Saudi Arabia’s deficit problem
Recently, Saudi Arabia’s public deficit has reached unusually high levels for the Kingdom. In an economy where oil revenues account for 90 percent of government revenues, the slump in oil
