A multi-faceted account of Egyptian economic development by nineteen internationally recognized authorities and the critical challenges the economy is likely to face in the next twenty years The Egyptian Economy in the Twenty-first Century addresses the question of why Egypt, despite possessing a plethora of assets—such as a fertile agriculture, a strategic geographic location, oil and gas deposits, innumerable tourist sites, a labor force prized by regional countries, and a diaspora that remits large amounts of funds—has seldom performed to its economic potential during the last sixty years. Indeed, economic weakness created political weakness, and often exposed the country to foreign diktats. What should the country do to change this state of affairs? Nineteen internationally recognized authorities on the Egyptian economy discuss the critical challenges that the Egyptian economy is likely to face in the next two to three decades, challenges which must be overcome in order to improve the life of Egypt’s citizens and to protect the country from external pressures. Their analyses cover population and employment; development strategies; principal macroeconomic issues; development of a digital economy; fiscal and monetary matters; the external sector; poverty and income distribution; the enterprise structure; higher education; water availability; urbanization; institutional performance; and many others. Contributors: - Gouda Abdel Khalek, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt - Khaled M. Abu-Zeid, Regional Water Resources, CEDARE (Center for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe), Cairo, Egypt. - Fatma El Ashmawy, World Bank. - Ragui Assaad, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA - Izak Atiyas, Economic Research Forum, Cairo, Egypt. - Marwa Biltagy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. - Lahcen Bounader, International Monetary Fund. - Ishac Diwan, École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France. - Ahmed Ghoneim, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. - Khalid Ikram, Washington DC, USA. - Karima Korayem, al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt. - Heba el-Laithy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. - Noha el-Mikawy, Ford Foundation, Middle East and North Africa, Cairo, Egypt. - Mohamed Mohieddin, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt. - Heba Nassar, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. - Osman Mohamed Osman, Cairo, Egypt. - Noha Razek, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. - David Sims, Cairo, Egypt. - John Waterbury, Princeton, New Jersey.

The Middle East has for a long time been at the centre of global trade as well as political interest. Demographic and social change shifts in global economic power, rapid urbanisation, climate change and resource scarcity, and significant technological development make this region both complex and hugely important. Doing Business in the Middle East highlights both the opportunities and constraints confronting foreign investors in the region and proposes strategies on how best to overcome them. The book explores the existing and emerging political and legal frameworks, sociocultural patterns, national infrastructures, regulatory environment, conflict resolution and how to negotiate in the Middle East. It also provides useful insights into how to approach advertising and marketing, promotion and distribution, and also at the strategies for investing in the region and appropriate modes of entry. With a number of features such as case studies, examples of effective and ineffective practices, clear takeaways, and a note on a future agenda on each given topic, this book is highly practical. Based on robust research, this comprehensive guide to doing business in the Middle East is an ideal reference tool for potential foreign investors, those who are already doing business or intend to do so in the region, and for a range of business and policy decision-makers. The book is also suitable for students and researchers in the fields of international management and business, international and strategic HRM, cross-cultural management, and business communication.

This study was to analyze the future role of natural gas in the energy mix of countries of South East Europe. The study further identifies regional, cross-border and country-specific gas infrastructure projects that are economically, financially and technically sound. The study also analyses, and makes proposals for, the institutional and policy issues relating to funding and implementing gas infrastructure projects. The study examines sources of gas supply from Russia, the Caspian region and other current and prospective producer countries through Turkey and other transit routes (including LNG) and assesses costs of supply and gasification prospects in nine gas markets in the South East Europe region: Albania Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Kosovo Macedonia Montenegro Romania Serbia These markets are all signatories of the Athens Memoranda of 2002 and 2003, which commit the participants to regional cooperation in electricity and gas.

Gas pipelines constitute an important, yet unexplored, aspect of strategic geography. As one of the fastest growing economies in the world, India’s need for energy is paramount. Though surrounded by gas-rich regions – Myanmar and Bangladesh to the east, the Gulf to the west and Central Asia to the north – India does not have a single gas pipeline coming in, going out or traversing through its territory to date. This book highlights the global competition over gas pipelines and its implications for India’s energy security in a comprehensive manner. The author leads us through a labyrinthine world comprising numerous actors – the states, energy firms, scientists, engineers, investors and bankers – engaged in competition over these pipelines leading to a continuous game of checkmating rivals, instigating conflicts, causing damage and destruction and threatening military action to persuade or dissuade states from joining specific projects. Pulsating, rigorous, grounded in hard facts and solid research, this book will be indispensable for scholars and researchers of international relations, strategic affairs, defence studies and politics, as well as think tanks, government agencies and the informed general reader.

The country’s economic strengths include its large domestic market, diversified economic base, favourable trade relations with major partners such as the EU, and geographic location. As Egypt continues to rebuild its economy it faces a number of risks. External challenges include regional unrest and a slowdown in exports due to muted global growth, although the nation’s limited exposure to Asian markets lends it some degree of protection. The possibility of unrest also features in the domestic risk matrix and security remains a national concern. Nevertheless, Egypt’s economy has continued to expand, with the IMF forecasting GDP growth of roughly 4% for 2015 and 4.4% for 2016.