Middle East And North African Research Articles

Homelessness and Gender Inequality in the Middle East and North Africa Region

While homelessness is a global phenomenon, research on homelessness skews heavily towards high-income nations such as those in North America, Europe, and Australia. The academic publishing sector also highly privileges articles written in English. Therefore, homelessness in the global south or non-English as a first language countries is less understood and less recognized. In this article, we explore homelessness as a phenomenon in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. In particular, we use a gender-based analysis to understand the highly gendered nature of homelessness in this region, presenting an argument that while homelessness is gendered globally, in regions where gender inequality is greater, women and gender-diverse people will be more disproportionately impacted by homelessness. Therefore, obtaining Sustainable Development Goal 5 of ‘Gender Equality’ and efforts to prevent homelessness will go hand-in-hand within the MENA region.

Does the inflow of remittances diminish unemployment? The role of political stability in MENA countries

PurposePrevious literature has investigated the connection amongst remittances, political stability and unemployment in remittance-receiving economies separately. Besides, they did not cover the Middle East and North African (MENA) region.Design/methodology/approachTo this end, this research uses the pooled mean group (PMG) method.FindingsThe findings suggest that the influence of remittances on lowering unemployment accelerates in recipient economies with high levels of political stability.Practical implicationsPolicymakers in MENA countries should vigorously pursue political stability, which plays a crucial role in boosting the influence of inward remittances on unemployment alleviation. This is accomplished by establishing solid institutions that contribute to ensuring fair politics, increasing citizens' trust in the government, enhancing the rule of law and protecting investors and prioritizing policies and programs that promote political stability.Originality/valueThis paper, therefore, aspires to empirically examine the impacts of inward remittances on unemployment via the moderating role of political stability in thirteen MENA-receiving countries from 1996 to 2020.

Assessment of Monkeypox (MPOX) Knowledge and Vaccination Intention among Health and Life Sciences Students in Algeria: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Monkeypox (MPOX) is a viral zoonotic disease affecting endemically the Central and Western regions of Africa. The ongoing outbreak in non-endemic countries has made this disease a global concern. While no cases have been reported in Algeria, it is important to raise awareness about the disease to prepare for a potential outbreak, especially in light of the cases reported in neighboring Middle East and North African (MENA) countries. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and attitude of Algerian Health and Life Sciences students toward MPOX and its vaccine through an anonymous online survey. A total of 196 students participated in this study. Students of medicine (64.3%), females (85.7%), and those under 20 years of age (55.1%) were the most represented. The results revealed a low level of knowledge represented by a score of only 42.8% for correct answers with multiple gaps in epidemiology, etiology, and clinical manifestations of MPOX. Students of veterinary sciences showed the highest levels of knowledge (OR: 6.71; CI95%: 1.23-36.77), while those aged between 20 and 30 years old (OR: 0.11; CI95%: 0.02-0.79) and those vaccinated against seasonal flu (OR: 0.42; CI95%: 0.21-0.85) were associated with low levels of knowledge. Regarding MPOX vaccination, the study found a moderate level of acceptance (48.5%) among the surveyed students with Natural and Life Sciences students and those having a high vaccine conspiracy belief score (VCBS) showing the lowest level of acceptance. These findings highlight the need for educational programs and intensified public awareness campaigns to improve knowledge about MPOX and emphasize the importance of vaccination in preventing outbreaks and overcoming vaccine reluctance.

Unraveling the path: assessing compliance and impact of accounting education in Libya with IES 3 standards on students' academic performance

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the extent of compliance of university accounting programs in Libya with the International Education Standard (IES 3) and the extent of the impact of the skills included in programs of accounting education in Libya aligned with IES 3 requirements on students' academic performance and then to identify factors that can hinder the implementation of professional skills in accounting education in Libya.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire was prepared and circulated among accounting graduates from public universities in Libya. A total of 116 useable responses were received from many of these universities. An exploratory factor analysis based on a pairwise polychoric correlation matrix was carried out to validate the scale. Also, it applies the regression analysis for a robustness check.FindingsThe findings indicate that the skills included in accounting education programs in Libya partially comply with the instructions of IES 3 (Intellectual, Interpersonal and Communication, Personal and Organizational). They provide empirical evidence that the accounting education program in Libya is a partial tool for implementing professional skills in accounting education in Libya. The findings of this study also show that there is no statistically significant relationship between the skills included in programs of accounting education in Libya aligned with IES 3 requirements and the academic performance of students.Practical implicationsFindings may help the government, higher education officials and accounting faculty members in Libya pay more attention to accounting education to improve its effectiveness and meet the requirements of IES 3. Therefore, it fills an information gap in the accounting literature by investigating university accounting programs and their compliance with IES 3 in Libya, a context that is still poorly understood.Originality/valueLittle is known about accounting education in the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries, where the literature shows that little research has been conducted on accounting students in the countries of this region, particularly in Libyan universities.

The Role of Renewable Energy Consumption in Targeting Debt Sustainability in African and MENA Region Countries

The primary aim of this study was to explore the impact of renewable energy consumption on debt sustainability in African and Middle East and North African (MENA) countries. Other objectives were to be investigated including foreign direct investment net inflows’ effects on those countries’ public debt, besides the relationship between carbon dioxide emissions and their public debt. The Fixed Effects Regression Model for Panel data analysis was employed through the utilization of different variables data of 21 countries in Africa and MENA regions, covering the period from 1999 to 2021. The conducted regression analysis incorporated central government debt as a dependent variable, and carbon dioxide emissions, FDI net inflows, the government effectiveness index, credit to the private sector, and renewable energy consumption as explanatory variables. The results revealed the existence of direct significant relationship between renewable energy consumption and central government debt, suggesting that reducing public debt leads to lower utilization of renewable energy. This could imply that going for the objective of debt sustainability requires the prevention of the wide utilization of renewable and clean energy. However, this impact could be overcome or lessened or even mitigated if it is aligned with the presence of highly effective governments and stimulated by FDINI oriented towards climate change mitigation since Green foreign direct investment inflows promotes the sustainable development and debt sustainability specifically with the presence of inverse relationship between the latest variables and central government debt. One recommendation from this research is that attracting FDI that promotes sustainable development within the context of effective governments can reduce government debt and should be explored for attaining the main objective without harming the ecological system or causing environmental degradation.

Human Security Implications of Foreign Military Bases in Djibouti

The principles of sovereignty and non-interference have historically shaped China's foreign policy, serving as fundamental tenets to safeguard the nation from external interventions, particularly during and after the Cold War. However, in recent times, there has been a noticeable shift in China's foreign policy as it embarks on an unprecedented expansion of its military presence beyond its borders. This shift is exemplified by the establishment of a permanent military base in Djibouti, situated in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region, which China refers to as "support facilities" or "logistical facilities." This marks China's inaugural venture into maintaining a permanent military presence outside its territorial boundaries. This study delves into the motivations behind China's adjusted foreign policy stance and examines the implications of this new approach on human security. While acknowledging the critical human insecurity implications associated with China's military presence in Djibouti, the analysis reveals a multifaceted strategy encompassing economic, political, ideological, and security interests. This strategic move positions China as a significant global player, shaping its role on the world stage.

Youths’ Employment Vulnerability amidst a Lingering Crisis: Evidence from the Middle East

This study estimates the impacts of the lingering COVID crisis on workers’ outcomes in four Middle East and North African (MENA) countries –Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia– using panel microdata from ERF COVID-19 MENA Monitors (February ‘20-September ‘21). Workers’ employment statuses were assessed using transition matrices and multinomial logistic models with quasi fixed effects. We confirm that strict COVID regulatory regimes have negative effects on employment outcomes of most groups of workers, but the effects cannot be consistently ranked between age cohorts and genders across the four countries. In 2021, men’s employment prospects gradually improved, but women remained largely excluded from work opportunities. Youths trailed non-youths throughout the pandemic, perpetuating existing inequalities along sex and age dimensions, but also vis-à-vis workers’ socioeconomic status represented by their education and employment type.

Investigating the EKC hypothesis with disaggregated energy use and multi-sector production.

The Middle East and North African (MENA) economies experienced substantial economic fluctuations due to variations in carbon emissions and energy use. For this purpose, the present study examines the factors influencing carbon emissions in MENA economies, particularly economic growth and energy use. To this end, this study disaggregates economic growth into three sectors (agriculture, industry, and services) and energy use into renewable and non-renewable, and examines their environmental impacts by including the roles of urbanization and trade openness in the environment Kuznets curve (EKC) framework. This study uses panel data from 16 MENA countries over the period 1990-2018 to estimate the short-run and long-run coefficients and the Granger causality between the variables. The empirical results using the Mean Augmented Group (AMG) and the Common Correlated Effects Mean Group (CCE-MG) revealed that (i) the signs of GDP per capita and its squared scores validate the EKC hypothesis only at the aggregate level; (ii) the coefficients of sectoral GDP show that the industry and services sectors have the highest contributions to carbon emissions in the MENA region; (iii) non-renewable energy increases emissions, whereas renewable energy lessens them. The outcomes of the Granger causality confirm (i) a bidirectional relationship between emissions and per capita GDP as well as sectoral GDP, between CO2 emissions and renewable energy, and between per capita GDP and renewable and non-renewable energy however; (ii) a unidirectional causal impact running from non-renewable energy to CO2 emissions is found in the short term. The study calls for effective policies to focus on curbing emissions in secondary and tertiary economic sectors by growing the part of renewable energy in the total energy mix.

Seeking approval first: Mental health care utilization and engagements among MENA adolescents in the United States

Like most adolescents, those from the Middle East and North African (MENA) region face a host of stressors that threaten their mental health. However, evidence suggests that this population may encounter specific barriers to access that inhibit or preclude help-seeking and engagement with mental health services. To better understand how these barriers limit MENA adolescents’ engagement with mental health services, we conducted interviews with 27 school-based service providers for MENA students in three U.S. cities and analyzed four focus group discussions from a Photovoice project with seven Arab adolescents in Detroit, MI. Our findings identified four key themes around barriers to service access and utilization: (1) the importance of reputation and adhering to familial and societal expectations, (2) student-parent communication around mental health and psychological distress, (3) the role of gender in seeking and engaging with mental health services, and (4) the quality and cultural appropriateness of mental health services. Strategies and recommendations for future research, policy, and practice to overcome these barriers are discussed.

Exploring attitudes towards health preparedness in the Middle East and North Africa against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats: A qualitative study

AbstractSince 1970, Middle East and North African (MENA) countries have witnessed evolutionary industrial development and long‐running terrorist and inter‐country conflicts. Additionally, the risk of accidental, deliberate or natural chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats has also increased, requiring a collaborative review of the health sectors’ preparedness for potential CBRN risks within the region. This study aimed to explore the opinion of multidisciplinary experts interested in disaster management research in MENA about perspectives and challenges on readiness for potential CBRN incidents.A modified interview online link was sent to the participants. A qualitative thematic analysis was performed on the responses using Nvivo®12 software, following semi‐structured modified interviews using the Phonic® application.A total of 29 participants were sufficient to reach the data saturation. Through an inductive coding approach, five themes were identified: ‘CBRN‐Related Incidents are a Threat’, ‘Inadequate National Practice and Policy’, ‘Need for International Cooperation’, ‘Importance of Better Mass Gathering Management’, and ‘Ineffective Hospital Preparedness’.With the assistance of the World Health Organization, there is a consensus on the need for cooperation between the MENA countries to ensure adequate healthcare preparedness for CBRN threats. Suggested measures should be considered, such as creating a unified database and liaison officer designation.

Exploring the effect of the Russian–Ukrainian conflict on MENA firms: Does the monetary policy play a role?

AbstractThis paper explores the effect of the Russian–Ukrainian conflict on the firms operating in the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries, focusing on how different sectors of the economy have responded. The empirical methodology utilizes firm‐level data from MENA countries, employing fixed effect and instrumental variable estimations to control for the potential endogeneity of casualties in the war and firm dynamics. The results of this study reveal that (1) an increase of 1% in the hostility of the Russian–Ukrainian war corresponds to a 0.13% decrease in the market cap of MENA firms. (2) This effect is more pronounced among highly indebted firms, conducting business solely within the domestic market, and operating on a small scale. (3) The monetary policy is vital in mitigating the effect of the conflict on firms.This study has two main contributions. First, it empirically assesses how firms operating in the MENA region respond to geopolitical events, highlighting differences in responses between firms and sectors. Second, this paper serves as guidelines for governments to face the challenges raised by wars. In particular, the paper shows the relevance of sector‐specific policy responses based on the extent to which each sector is affected by geopolitical events.

“Trust but verify” financial inclusion in the MENA region

Using data from the World Value and Financial Access Surveys from 2010 to 2021 in 13 countries in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region, this study investigates the nonlinear impact of general trust (GT) and confidence in banks (CIB) on financial inclusion (FI). In addition, it investigates whether bank risk-taking reinforces the negative effect between trust and financial inclusion. We also estimate a generalized quantile regression, and its results indicate a nonlinear (U-shaped) relationship between GT and FI and a nonlinear (Inverted U-shaped) relationship between CIB and FI. In addition, bank risk-taking strengthens the negative relationship between GT and FI. This is one of the first studies to investigate the relationship between general trust and financial inclusion with a nonlinear regression. Because the MENA region differs from others in terms of culture and religion, our results vary from those in prior papers on non-MENA countries.

What role public debt plays to moderate the influence of natural resources on financial development? Appraising Resource-Curse Hypothesis in MENA Region

A sound financial structure is one of the imperative macroeconomic goals for developed and developing ones, particularly for resource-abundant countries, which are more vulnerable due to the unexpected shock of COVID-19 and experiencing the financial resource curse (FRC). The literature has extensively discussed the assimilation of natural resources (NR) into a blessing or curse; however, little is known concerning the FRC hypothesis through integrating public debts (PD). Therefore, the present research scrutinizes the FRC in the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries by considering the PD, NR, institutional quality (IQ), and financial development (FD) in an integrating framework from 2001 to 2020. The study employs a cross-section augmented distributed lag (CS-ARDL) estimator to address the concerns of cross-section dependency and slope heterogeneity. The long-run empirical findings elucidate that NR significantly reduces FD and affirms the FRC hypothesis, while IQ positive promotes the FD in the MENA region. Another pertinent factor, PD reduces FD significantly, and the moderating impact of PD through NR reveals the inverse association with FD. Additionally, consistent findings are investigated in the short run with a smaller coefficient magnitude, and the cointegrating term converges towards the steady state equilibrium with a 29.4% adjustment rate in any diverging situation. Similar empirical outcomes are echoed from the alternative panel techniques, and panel causality testing indicates the bi-directional causality among all model variables except IQ and FD. Overall results provide valuable policy implications to the MENA region that should empower the IQ levels in mitigating the adverse impacts of FRC.

Multidisciplinary consensus recommendations for management of hepatocellular carcinoma in Middle East and North Africa region.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a growing health concern projected to cross over a million cases worldwide by 2025. HCC presents a significant burden of disease in Middle East and North African (MENA) countries due to a high prevalence of risk factors such as hepatitis C and B infections and rising incidence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. In August 2022, an advisory meeting consisting of experts from 5 MENA countries was convened in an attempt to provide consensus recommendations on HCC screening, early diagnosis, current treatment modalities and unmet medical needs in the region. Data were collected from a pre-meeting survey questionnaire and responses analysed and presented during the advisory meeting. This review summarizes the evidence discussed at the meeting and provides expert recommendations on the management of HCC. The 2022 update of Barcelona clinic liver cancer (BCLC) staging and treatment strategy and its implementation in the MENA region was extensively discussed. A key consensus of the expert panel was that multidisciplinary care is crucial to effective patient management that results in better clinical outcomes and overall survival of the patient. The panel recommended the use of predictive and early response biomarkers to guide clinicians in arriving at more effective therapeutic decisions. The experts also emphasized the role of robust screening/surveillance systems, population-based registries, effective referral pathways and standardization of guidelines to ensure the successful management of HCC in the region.

The Nexus of Banks’ Competition, Ownership Structure, and Economic Growth on Credit Risk and Financial Stability

The main object of this research is to find out the nexus of banks’ competition, ownership structure, and economic growth on credit risk and financial stability. In addition, it examines the level of financial stability, economic growth, and ownership structure in the Middle East and North African (MENA) economies. The generalized method of moments (GMM) method was used to examine this study. The study used an unbalanced panel dataset from 2011 to 2021 in MENA countries. This research demonstrates a negative relationship between economic growth, credit risk, and financial stability in MENA economies; nevertheless, it proves an insignificant effect among them. It also shows that the lower the level of bank competition, the lower the level of bank risk taking, and the better the level of financial stability. It further found that market competition and bank ownership structure had a homogenous effect on financial stability when looking at the impact of competition and bank ownership structure. In the long-term sense, the square term of competition is highly favorable with financial stability models ((Lerner square × Islamic banks), (Lerner square × commercial banks), (Lerner square × specialized government institutions)). However, financial stability improves with time, as seen by the competition square term bank ownership structure (a square measure of competition) with the Lerner index (LI) and the Herfindahl–Hirschman index total assets (HHIA). This finding of the square measure of competition is supported by competition stability theory. However, this study also proved that Islamic and commercial banks are less vulnerable to credit risk than specialized government institutions (SGI). This study scrutinized how MENA economies can remain stable through banking competition. This study builds a new brand of literature review. As a result, this research gives MENA policymakers better ideas for making policies that help the banking environment.

Determinants of working capital management for emerging markets firms: evidence from the MENA region

PurposeThis study examines the impact of firm-specific and macroeconomic factors on the working capital behavior of firms listed in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on a panel data analysis of 687 firms listed on 11 MENA markets, carried out using the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) approach.FindingsThe results of this study reveal that profitable firms with high levels of operating cash flows adopt a conservative working capital management. Young firms with rapid growth rates, highly leveraged firms and firms with large investments in fixed assets have higher liquidity needs, which explains their tendency to pursue aggressive working capital strategies. Similarly, large firms exercise their bargaining power over their clients and suppliers to implement an aggressive approach of working capital management. Finally, firms do not have the luxury to decide how working capital should be managed when they are subject to outside macroeconomic forces that affect their stakeholders as well.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study can help managers adopt efficient practices and identify optimal working capital levels. Firms in the MENA region maintain excess reserves of cash, which causes under-investment and inefficient allocation of resources in the economy. Improving working capital management practices can allow firms to regain operational efficiency, enhance financial performance and support economic growth.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this study investigates this topic in MENA emerging markets and contributes to enriching the existing corporate finance literature in emerging markets.

CEO’s Characteristics and CSR Disclosure: Evidence from Islamic Banks across MENA Region

The purpose of this paper was to explore the relationship between the characteristics of the chief executive officer (CEO) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) of banks operating in the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries. The study hypotheses was tested using a multiple linear regression model by examining data from a sample of 97 Islamic banks operating in the MENA region between 2015 and 2019. The results were robustly checked and the findings indicated that both CEO’s overconfidence, experience and education appear to have a significantly positive effect on the CSR disclosure. Furthermore, the results of multiple linear regressions showed that older CEO’s have a negative and significant impact on the level of CSR disclosure. This research bridges the gap between theory and practice in many aspects. Thus, although a substantial volume of research has examined sustainable advantage, one vital aspect of CSR has been largely unexplored. This study fills this void in the literature, namely the interaction between CEO’s characteristics and CSR disclosure. An explicit CSR disclosure may improve social well-being in emerging markets.

Arab Spring, democratization of corruption, and income inequality

AbstractHow do political crises affect the interaction between economic and political outcomes? In this paper, we study one of the consequences of political turmoil by empirically examining whether the Arab Spring influenced the relationship between corruption and income inequality. Using panel data from 1996 to 2019 for the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries, we find that while corruption is positively associated with income inequality, the interaction term between corruption and the Arab Spring is negatively associated with income inequality. This result is consistent with the view that corruption has become more democratized after the Arab Spring. We use instrumental variable (IV) analysis to address potential endogeneity issues. Our findings suggest that not only studying the direct effects of political crises on economic and institutional variables is important, but studying their effects on shaping the association between economic and institutional variables can be insightful.

Natural resource curse: A literature survey and comparative assessment of regional groupings of oil-rich countries

This paper provides an extensive review of the rapidly growing literature on the resource curse phenomenon, whereby natural resources-rich countries experience lower levels of economic growth and development than countries with fewer natural resources. The various theoretical explanations for the phenomenon, alongside a survey of the empirical literature, are critically discussed. Generally, the literature results are found to be mixed and no consensus is reached. This might be attributed to different time periods, data used, proxy for the natural resource variables selected and the estimation approach employed. The practical part of this paper applies a descriptive analysis to compare economic performance among sub-regional groupings of oil-rich developed and developing countries. Our results indicated that oil-rich developing countries have underperformed in several development outcomes particularly in Middle East and North African (MENA) and Sub-Sahara African (SSA) countries. The paper also provides some suggested policies to convert the resources curse into a blessing, in particular for these countries.

Probability of default and political instability in the MENA region

PurposeThis study aims to empirically investigate the impact of political instability on the banking stability of the dual banking system in the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries.Design/methodology/approachThe study measures banking stability with probability of default (PD) and Zscore by employing the generalised method of moment (GMM) between 2007 and 2021 on the dual banking system in the region. The authors further estimate short-long-run situations coupled with a robustness test using a generalised least square (GLS) model.FindingsThe authors' findings indicate that institutional factors of political stability, crisis period, high-crisis countries, law and order and macroeconomic indicators influence the two types of banking stability in the region. The authors found the consistency of the factors explaining stability in the region in both short-and long-run situations. Consequently, the study also reveals the adverse effects of crisis periods and high-crisis countries on banking stability.Practical implicationsThe results of this study explicitly identify the critical need for sustaining political stability and abiding by laws and order to achieve dual banking stability in the region. Therefore, policymakers may consider allowing the region's banks to operate beyond retail banking since diversification enhances banking stability.Originality/valueThe authors' study balances by employing dual stability measurement in predicting the impact of political instability, law and order and other indicators on the MENA region's two banking models. This study uncovers the effect of the global crisis period on banking stability and high-crisis countries in the region and verifies the models' robustness.