Arab Spring Countries: Beyond Political Upheaval and toward Inclusive Growth

Two years after the revolutions that changed the political landscape of the Arab world, countries in the region are still struggling to address the core political and socioeconomic issues behind the protests. Political unrest and an unfavorable international environment have led to economic stagnation and heightened short-term macro-economic risks. Little progress has been made toward achieving the revolutions’ objectives of better lives and social justice. In a series of papers, scholars from Brookings and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) address how these countries can move beyond the political upheaval and support economic and social development.

On January 31, Global Economy and Development at Brookings hosted a discussion on how post-Arab Spring countries can move toward more inclusive growth. Brookings Senior Fellow Hafez Ghanem presented the overall recommendations from the papers and a group of experts discussed their thoughts on the papers and the broader issues. Panelists included: Inger Andersen, vice president of the Middle East and North Africa region at the World Bank; Andrew Baukol, deputy assistant secretary for Middle East and Africa at the U.S. Treasury; Heidi Crebo-Rediker, chief economist at the U.S. State Department; and Akihiko Koenuma, director-general of the Middle East and Europe Department at JICA. Vice President Kemal Derviş, director of Global Economy and Development, moderated the discussion.

Read more about the paper series »