Economic and Political Change in the Middle East

The Middle East has been a busy stage for political, economic, and social drama in the last three decades. Activity has ranged from quiet, subtle attempts to control population through re-education, to political revolutions and wars that have kept the region in constant turmoil and created international crises.This comparative history and evaluation of the socio-economic development of twenty countries in the Middle East during this period reveals why, contrary to overall impressions, change and development have not been as positive or as rapid as believed. It helps separate measurable facts from fantasies generated by the oil wealth of the region and by some wishful thinking and politically oriented evaluators. In this explicitly interdisciplinary study, economic development is assessed within a theoretical framework tailored to fit the changing Middle East and other developing regions. The analysis combines quantitative and qualitative data reflecting the interdisciplinary approach and the level of development realized by the countries studied.