On July 30, the 20th anniversary of his accession to the throne, King Mohammed VI honored his country’s past achievements and projected the need for Morocco to push forward its efforts. His message summarized his pride in having moved the country progressively while regretting that too much still needed to...
In an article published last month with the title, “Could Morocco see the next uprising, after Sudan and Algeria?” the BBC demonstrated a misunderstanding of Moroccan society by conflating civil unrest and public dissatisfaction over the kingdom’s leadership with the overall stability of the country. Despite their behavior as autocrats,...
There’s good and ugly economic news in Morocco and Tunisia, according to Oxfam and the IMF. Two recent reports highlight the challenges of developing an equitable and high-performing economy in North Africa. While Morocco and Tunisia have demonstrated a degree of political will in announcing goals for more equitable societies,...
The challenges of sustainable economic growth and meaningful employment are common throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, at the recent opening of a workshop on the digital economy, pointed out that “digitization is one of the primary building blocks for national prosperity.” He added...
Providing better opportunities for Arab women to succeed as entrepreneurs will benefit the Middle East and North Africa. The economic and business roles of Arab women have been discussed for more than two decades, and initiatives have been launched on the consensus that their participation is worth promoting. With electoral...
Investing in girls and women as full partners in the economic future of Africa makes good business sense. There is little doubt that Africa will witness rapid yet uneven economic and demographic growth in the next 20 years. The continent’s rise can positively affect the global economy by introducing a...
The international community must recognize that further delay at peace-making in Yemen will only wreck more lives. “Allah is great, death to America, death to Israel, curse the Jews, victory for Islam.” Known as al-sarkha, this is the banner carried by Shia Houthi rebels in their demonstrations in Yemen. Usually,...
In Yemen, the pressure is on both sides to move toward a negotiated settlement. There are three different views on the Yemen War depending on who’s making the pronouncements. The first sees the US as supporting a naive and destructive effort by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to...
World Refugee Day should be an observance of communities that have opened their hearts and cities to those in need. While I have often expressed my thoughts about the Syrian, Palestinian and Iraqi refugees in Lebanon, even including the burdens carried by Jordan and Palestine, it is only a starting...
Algeria’s leaders have yet to revamp the economic system to make the country globally competitive. Economic news for Algeria, tied to its opaque political-business regimen, is hardly heartening. Despite the recent decree of yet another attempt at reform, the country remains stagnated within a system that inspires little confidence in...
