Macroeconomic Issues and Policies in the Middle East and North Africa - Softcover

The Middle East and North African countries are at a crucial point in their reform process. Several have made efforts to strengthen demand management, rationalise price structures, liberalise exchange and trade regimes. Whilst these steps have contained inflation, growth has remained weak, and in many countries this combination has worsened already high levels of unemployment and poverty. This book draws on recent research to show how the countries are addressing the challenges. It stresses that self-sustaining and faster growth can be achieved through structural reforms and closer collaboration with the international community.

This book brings together recent IMF research on how the Middle East and North African countries are grappling with various macroeconomic challenges. It rigorously analyzes policy alternatives for a range of relevant topics, including the implications of changing demographic trends for growth and unemployment, determinants of inflation, financial-sector reform and Islamic banking, fiscal sustainability in oil-dependent economies, exchange rate and trade arrangements, and impediments to foreign direct investment. The book's overall theme--self-sustaining and faster growth can be achieved through comprehensive structural reforms and closer collaboration between the region's policymakers and the international community.