For over eighty years the Arab region has derived massive wealth from its natural resources, yet the region's economies remain little diversified, while the oil market is experiencing major structural shifts with the advent of shale gas. Moreover, the resource itself is eventually exhaustible. Under these conditions economic prosperity cannot be sustainable. The critical question is how can the countries of this region escape the 'oil curse'? In this volume, leading economists argue that the curse is not a predestined outcome but a result of weak institutions and bad governance. A variety of analytical perspectives and examination of various international case studies leads to the conclusion that natural resources can only spur economic development when combined with sound political institutions and effective economic governance. This volume, with its unique focus on the Arab region, will be an important reference for researchers and policy makers alike.

The 'oil curse' is a common phrase used to describe how oil-rich Arab countries often fall behind others in terms of economic growth. In this book, leading economists provide fresh insight into how resource-dependent Arab countries can best exploit their oil revenues through macroeconomic management, industrial policy and political reforms.

Foreword Ahmed Galal; Acknowledgements Ibrahim Elbadawi and Hoda Selim; 1. Overview of context, issues and summary Ibrahim Elbadawi and Hoda Selim; 2. The global impact of the systemic economies and MENA business cycles Paul Cashin, Kamiar Mohaddes and Mehdi Raissi; 3. Real exchange rates and export performance in oil-dependent Arab economies Ibrahim Elbadawi and Linda Kaltani; 4. Dutch disease in the services sector - evidence from oil exporters in the Arab region Ndiamé Diop and Jaime de Melo; 5. The political economy of public sector employment in resource-dependent countries Omer Ali and Ibrahim Elbadawi; 6. The oil curse and labor markets - the case of Saudi Arabia Hend Al-Sheikh and S. Nuri Erbas; 7. Resource rents, political institutions and economic growth Ibrahim Elbadawi and Raimundo Soto; 8. Fiscal institutions in resource-rich economies - lessons from Chile and Norway Klaus Schmidt-Hebbel; 9. Savings and investment decisions from natural resource revenues - implications for Arab development Paul Collier; 10. Labor market heterogeneity and optimal exchange rate regimes in resource-rich Arab countries Almukhtar Saif Al-Abri; 11. The institutional curse of natural resources in the Arab world Hoda Selim and Chahir Zaki; 12. Has the UAE escaped the oil curse? Raimundo Soto and Ilham Haouas; 13. Understanding and avoiding the oil curse in Sudan Kabbashi M. Suliman; Index.