Middle East North African Research Articles

The impact of income inequality on economic growth in MENA region: The role of energy poverty threshold effect

This research paper explores the impact of income inequality on economic growth under the influence of energy poverty threshold effect in 12 Middle East-North African (MENA) countries from 2000 to 2019. We examine the possibility of a non-linear connection between income inequality and growth below and above a specific energy poverty level using the fixed-effect threshold panel proposed by Hansen (1999) [107]. Our results suggest that income disparity adversely influences economic development, no matter the level of energy poverty. Moreover, our results indicate that the detrimental impact of inequality on economic growth diminishes as energy poverty decreases and reaches a certain threshold. Therefore, addressing energy poverty helps to minimize the negative economic consequences of inequality. Our research provides valuable insights for MENA. In fact, policymakers can mitigate these adverse effects by supporting and expanding the diffusion of clean fuels and modern cooking techniques. A comprehensive approach that combines expanding clean energy infrastructure, providing financial incentives, and conducting public awareness and training programs can ensure the availability, affordability while facilitating their efficient use.

Family embeddedness and next generation aspirations to take over the family business: insights from the MENA region

PurposeThis study delves into the aspirations of young individuals to assume leadership roles in their family businesses. It assesses the impact of family embeddedness and the perception of positive family business performance on succession intentions and investigates potential gender differences in this context.Design/methodology/approachHierarchical multiple regression was determined for utilizing a sample of university students in seven countries from the Middle East–North African (MENA) region (N = 3,908).FindingsThe present study’s findings suggest that embeddedness in the family business has a much stronger role in shaping the succession intentions than previously envisioned. Females are more inclined to take over the family business when they perceive that the family business is not performing well.Originality/valueThis study provides important insights into the dynamic of family business succession intentions and family embeddedness. By providing a better understanding of some of the key drivers of family business succession intentions, it enables families in the MENA region to develop better family plans to engage with their successors effectively.

The Entrepreneurial Intention-Action Relationships among Young Entrepreneurs: A Taxonomy-Based Perspective

Abstract Although entrepreneurial intentions have been widely studied, however, the relationship between intention and action is an understudied area, especially in the Middle East/North African (MENA) region. This paper investigates the antecedents of the intention-action relationships based on the doer, procrastinator, dreamer, and abstainer taxonomy of student entrepreneurs. In this paper, a sample (N = 12,947) from seven countries from the MENA region, and a multinomial logistic regression modelling. Findings show that university contextual factors play a significant role in the likelihood of students actively starting their own business, or just procrastinating and dreaming about it. More specifically, entrepreneurial-oriented learning programs reduce the probability of students completely abstaining from choosing entrepreneurship as a career. Past research primarily has utilized a singular intention framework (an “all-or-nothing” decision), without reflecting the stepwise commitment of the entrepreneurial process.

The Importance of Incorporating Religious, Cultural and Linguistic Evidence in UK Immigration Procedures: An Analysis of the Semiotic Codes of Asylum Seekers

Asylum seekers who claim asylum in the United Kingdom flee from a diverse range of threats of persecution, particularly in the MENA (Middle East & North African) region. These threats may comprise of war, tribal violence and trafficking to honour-killings, female genital mutilation and witchcraft. Some of these threats may be alien to Western immigration tribunals as they either do not occur in their respective countries or are not understood, particularly because of the intricate religious and cultural nature of the threat in question. For example, a single woman who has had sexual relations outside of marriage would be regarded as having insulted tribal and familial honour in some regions of MENA countries. Here, the word ‘tribe’, which in Arabic is ‘qabilah’, has a distinct historical, cultural and lexical meaning that lawyers, judges and policy-makers may not be aware of; the same may be said of ‘nikah’ (marriage) or ‘Voodoo’ (a type of witchcraft) and many other terminologies. These terminologies are intimately linked to the experiences of immigration applicants and asylum seekers who desire to express their fear of persecution to lawyers, judges and policymakers. Using two real-life case studies involving a Yemeni immigration applicant and Nigerian asylum seeker respectively and my practitioner experience as a country expert having written 140 reports, I will critically explore the value of a primary, semiotic understanding of key religious, cultural and linguistic dimensions in asylum claims (as opposed to secondary source evidence). I argue that the UK’s immigration tribunal system should place more value on how language is embodied within the MENA regions. I do not wish to just highlight this issue but semiotically analyse immigration and asylum procedure, the arguments of the Home Office and tribunals in accepting or rejecting claims and suggest substantive reform by broadening the nature of evidence. Using Peirce’s framework of semiotics, a sign (representamen) is the fundamental entry point to comprehend an object—an object being the referent of a sign. Once we understand a sign and its object, we arrive at the interpretant which is the sense or meaning derived from the object. This triad relationship of sign, object and interpretant constitutes semiois. Here, I argue that analysing the nature of a sign and what it purports to represent can provide us with a theoretical basis by which to reformulate the mechanisms which judges and lawyers use to understand religious, cultural and linguistic evidence in asylum claims. It is through signs that we can arrive at a deeper meaning and the larger picture of the intricate components of an asylum seeker’s claim thereby accessing their semiotic code.

The effects of carbon inequality on economic growth: new evidence from MENA region.

This study emphasizes the impact of carbon inequality on the economic growth of Middle East-North African (MENA) economies from 1995 to 2019. By employing the panel cross-sectionally augmented autoregressive distributed lags method (Chudik and Pesaran 2015), we explored the effect of the carbon footprint of top-income classes on economic performance in both the short and long term. The empirical results assume that carbon inequality indicators boost economic growth in the short and long run. In other words, economic growth may be slowed when carbon inequality is reduced. Our study has important implications for climate policy in the MENA region. In this context, relying on a carbon tax can increase business costs and reduce investment incentives leading to a decline in growth. Governments should adopt a more comprehensive approach incorporating other policy instruments such as nudging techniques, financial incentives, and public awareness campaigns. As a result, wealthy people will be encouraged to promote sustainable choices and behaviors that guarantee the progressive transition to low-carbon activities without hurting economic growth.

Floating Exchange Rate Regimes and Macroeconomic Indicators: Evidence from Mena Region and Outlook for the Moroccan Case

Many emerging economies have significantly changed their economic policies by adopting floating exchange rate regimes. In this sense, we examine their effect on the Middle East North African (MENA) region, and based on similarities and differences in macroeconomic structure and fundamentals, the potential effect on the Moroccan economy would be projected. The study provides an overview of the MENA region's experience with exchange rate regimes, looking at their historical development and effects on regional economic stability and growth. If the adoption of floating exchange rate regimes for the emerging economies in the MENA region has benefits including enhanced flexibility, decreased vulnerability to external shocks, and increased competitiveness; however, the considered countries recognize difficulties in setting them up and running them, as well as the requirement for supportive policy measures. This paper underlines the significance of additional research to examine the effects of floating exchange rate regimes on other MENA economies, mainly Morocco, and to determine the most efficient policy measures to maximize the advantages of this regime.

Financial development threshold effect on wealth inequality-economic growth nexus: Evidence from MENA economies

This paper investigates the impact of the threshold effect of financial development on the relationship between wealth inequality and economic growth of 13 Middle East-North African (MENA) countries between 1995 and 2019. Applying the fixed-effect threshold panel model introduced by Hansen (1999), we test for a non-linear association between wealth disparity and economic output below and above a threshold value of financial development. The results show that wealth inequality inhibits economic expansion regardless of the level of financial development. Besides, this destructive impact intensifies with increased financial development. Our findings highlight that the rise in the wealth gap especially accompanied by accelerating financial reforms hurts economic growth. The findings of our research provide useful implications for the MENA region. Policymakers should reduce inequality of patrimony by adopting wealth tax to achieve a more equitable capital distribution. Furthermore, governments must adjust the financial development process to make it consistent with wealth equalizing policies and sustainable growth.

Weight patterns among mother-child pairs in the Middle East and North African Region

AimWe aim to evaluate weight status in mother-child household pairs and patterns specific to over-nutrition households and double burden households. MethodsWe used nationally representative data from the most recent Demographic and Health Survey (2001–2014) in the Middle East & North African (MENA) Region (n = 45,104) to examine weight status of mother-child dyads. Under-nutrition households were defined as mothers with underweight and children with wasting; over-nutrition households as mothers with overweight/obesity and children with overweight; and double burden households as mothers with underweight and children with overweight or mothers with overweight/obesity mother and children with wasting. Survey-adjusted multinomial logistic regression were used to quantify predictors of weight patterns. ResultsAcross the MENA region, 8.6% of households were experiencing double burden malnutrition, 11% were experiencing over-nutrition and 0.2% were experiencing under-nutrition. Wealthier households with older mothers, higher birth-order children, more educated parents and private water access were more likely to be over-nutrition or double burden households. Compared to over-nutrition households, double burden households were poorer and more likely to have a child with low birthweight. ConclusionsOver-nutrition is the most common unhealthy weight pattern, followed by double-burden; socioeconomic status and birth weight are consistent predictors of unhealthy mother-child pairs.

HPV vaccination initiation among white, black and Middle East North African (MENA) males

ObjectivesUS males initiate HPV vaccination at older ages than females and currently have low population coverage. We aim to describe the prevalence and predictors of HPV vaccination initiation among males of White, Black, and Middle-Eastern/North-African (MENA) descent in southeast Michigan. MethodsWe conducted three community-based surveys in 2019 that provided primary data via self report. Using population weights and multivariate modeling, we measured the prevalence and predictors of HPV vaccine initiation in each race/ethnicity of men (age 18–34 years) analyzed. ResultsThe vaccine initiation rates were 44.5 % (95 % CI: 44.4, 44.6) for White men, 46.2 % (46.0, 46.4) for Black men, and 23.2 % (22.8, 23.6) for MENA men, (p < 0.001). Being a student, compared to unemployed or disabled, was significantly associated with HPV vaccine initiation across all three races/ethnicities. Married men of any race/ethnicity were unlikely to be vaccinated. MENA men born in the US and having some college education were also more likely to initiate HPV vaccination. ConclusionsWhite, Black, and MENA men are not vaccinated in accord with Healthy (Healthy People 2030, 2022) goals. Each race/ethnicity has different predictors of vaccination.

Culturally sensitive recommendations for the clinical pharmacist to engage the Arab American patient

AbstractArab Americans (ARAM) comprise approximately 3.7 million individuals in the United States (US). The Census Bureau classifies ARAM as white and does not acknowledge them as a minority group in the Middle East North African (MENA) category creating a challenge when assessing their health outcomes. Like other minority groups, ARAM have unique social behaviors and cultural attributes that directly affect their health outcomes. However, many health care professionals in the US are not well‐informed of their culture. Hence, it is important for clinical pharmacists to familiarize themselves with the Arab culture in order to engage the ARAM patient and provide culturally competent care. This article reviews ARAM demographics and some of their common health behaviors and associated outcomes. The authors also offer culturally sensitive recommendations addressing important areas of health care to mitigate health disparities for this growing patient population.

Time poverty in Egypt and Tunisia: is there a gender gap?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the gender differences in time poverty in two Middle East North African (MENA) countries, particularly Egypt and Tunisia, as well as examining its determinants across gender.Design/methodology/approachTo this end, the authors make use of data provided by the Labor Market Panel Survey (LMPS) in Egypt (2012) and in Tunisia (2014) to estimate probit regressions to identify various determinants that explain time poverty.FindingsThe empirical findings show that the probability of time poverty, in both countries, is lower for women compared to men. In addition, the determinants of time poverty (individual, household and community variables) and their marginal effects differ across gender.Originality/valueResearch on the gender inequalities in time poverty and its determinants has been very limited. Additionally, the relationships between individuals’ time use and the conditions under which this might represent time poverty have not been fully studied in the literature. Moreover, most of the available studies have focused on developed countries; while studies tackling this issue in developing countries are very few. For the MENA region, in particular, this topic is totally missing in the available literature.

Fixed-Mobile Substitution in MENA Countries: The Future of Fixed-Line Markets

AbstractThe aim of this paper is to study the occurrence of Fixed-Mobile Substitution (FMS) in the Middle East North African (MENA) region. While there have been many studies on developed countries, empirical evidence for developing countries is somehow limited. In the last few years, mobile cellular subscriptions achieved a tremendous growth across the MENA region making it the second fastest growing region in the world in terms of mobile subscriptions in 2012, and the fastest growing region in terms of mobile traffic in 2014. Fixed subscriptions have also grown but at a slower rate than mobile subscriptions. Using unbalanced data on 17 MENA countries over the period 1990–2009, we explore the relationship between fixed and mobile telephone services by using dynamic panel data models. We find empirical evidence for asymmetric one-way substitution between fixed-lines and mobile phones and we estimate own- and cross-price elasticities for fixed and mobile telephone services in MENA region. The results are then used to derive policy implications in terms of market redefinition, taxation policies, extension of universal services and broadband markets.

Opiate agonist treatment to improve health of individuals with opioid use disorder in Lebanon

BackgroundOpioid agonist therapy has been widely used to reduce harms among individuals with opioid use disorder but its effectiveness has not been evaluated in the Middle East North African (MENA) region. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a program using opioid agonist therapy in combination with psychosocial support on improving psychological and social well-being, reducing arrest, and reducing risky behavior in individuals with opioid use disorder in Lebanon.MethodsA one-group pre-test post-test design study was performed at SKOUN Lebanese Addiction Centre between January 2013 and December 2014. Eighty-six out of 181 patients agreed to participate and completed the 3-month assessment and 38 concluded the 12-month assessment. Psychological (depression and anxiety, quality of life), substance dependence/abuse, behavioral (injecting behavior, sharing needles and paraphernalia), and social outcomes were evaluated at baseline, 3, and 12 months post-treatment.ResultsRemarkable statistical significance improvements were observed 3 months after treatment in most outcome variables including quality of life, anxiety, substance dependence, overdose, employment, and injecting behavior. Improvements were sustained 12 months after treatment.ConclusionResults support expanding the access to opioid agonist therapy in other MENA countries to treat substance dependence and reduce harms among individuals with opioid use disorder.

Sensitivity of the Middle East–North African Tropical Rainbelt to Dust Shortwave Absorption: A High-Resolution AGCM Experiment

Abstract Shortwave absorption is one of the most important, but the most uncertain, components of direct radiative effect by mineral dust. It has a broad range of estimates from different observational and modeling studies and there is no consensus on the strength of absorption. To elucidate the sensitivity of the Middle East–North African (MENA) tropical summer rainbelt to a plausible range of uncertainty in dust shortwave absorption, AMIP-style global high-resolution (25 km) simulations are conducted with and without dust, using the High-Resolution Atmospheric Model (HiRAM). Simulations with dust comprise three different cases by assuming dust as a very efficient, as a standard, and as an inefficient absorber. Intercomparison of these simulations shows that the response of the MENA tropical rainbelt is extremely sensitive to the strength of shortwave absorption. Further analyses reveal that the sensitivity of the rainbelt stems from the sensitivity of the multiscale circulations that define the rainbelt. The maximum response and sensitivity are predicted over the northern edge of the rainbelt, geographically over the Sahel. The sensitivity of the responses over the Sahel, especially that of precipitation, is comparable to the mean state. Locally, the response in precipitation reaches up to 50% of the mean, while dust is assumed to be a very efficient absorber. Taking into account that the Sahel has a very high climate variability and is extremely vulnerable to changes in precipitation, the present study suggests the importance of reducing uncertainty in dust shortwave absorption for a better simulation and interpretation of the Sahel climate.

Experimental investigation of a novel solar thermal polygeneration plant in United Arab Emirates

The demands for space air conditioning and clean drinking water are relatively high in Middle East North African (MENA) countries. A sustainable and innovative approach to meet these demands along with the production of domestic hot water is experimentally investigated in this paper. A novel solar thermal poly-generation (STP) pilot plant is designed and developed for production of chilled water for air conditioning using absorption chiller, clean drinking water with membrane distillation units and domestic hot water by heat recovery. The STP system is developed with a flexibility to operate in four different modes: (i) solar cooling mode (ii) cogeneration of drinking water and domestic hot water (iii) cogeneration of cooling and desalination (iv) trigeneration. Operational flexibility allows consumers to utilize the available energy based on seasonal requirements. Performance of STP system is analyzed during summer months in RAKRIC research facility. Energy flows in STP pilot plant during peak load operations are analyzed for all four modes. STP system with trigeneration mode utilizes 23% more useful energy compared to solar cooling mode, which improves overall efficiency of the plant. Economic benefits of STP with trigeneration mode are evaluated with fuel cost inflation rate of 10%. STP plant has potential payback period of 9.08 years and net cumulative savings of $454,000 based on economic evaluation.

Towards a new sustainable status quo for Ethical awareness &amp; practice in Large Corporate &amp; SME's using IT as a central facilitator of operations in the Middle East &amp; North African region

This paper examines ethical awareness in the large Corporate & SME IT sector of the Middle East & North African (MENA) region. It uses the prevalence of corporate codes of conduct in the industry to analytically ascertain the level of ethical awareness. The literature is analysed to reveal how codes of conduct have developed synchronously alongside ethical awareness of specific companies as well as the ethical cognisance of the industry & the society is embedded in. The paper then proposes how this current dynamic equilibrium has contributed to global ethical discourse in the specific industry chosen. This in turn is further analysed to isolate the newer elements of the developing discourse & how this may contribute to progression in terms of local & practical measures & global perceptions of this area as one that lacks the essential ethical awareness of the industry in the developed world.

The transmission of oil and food prices to consumer prices

This paper investigates the effects of global oil and food price shocks to consumer prices in Middle East-North African (MENA) countries using threshold cointegration methods. Oil and food price shocks increase domestic prices in the long run, whereby the impact of food prices dominates. While global prices are weakly exogenous, consumer prices respond to deviations from the equilibrium relationship. The short run adjustment pattern exhibits asymmetries and is particularly strong after positive shocks. Downward rigidities on wages may play a crucial role in this regard, as the relatively weak reactions of consumer prices after negative shocks are related to labour market institutions and public subsidies. The more rigid the regulations the more pronounced are the asymmetries. Robustness checks show that international price shocks do not affect GDP growth.

The Transmission of Oil and Food Prices to Consumer Prices: Evidence for the MENA Countries

This paper investigates the effects of global oil and food price shocks to consumer prices in Middle East-North African (MENA) countries using threshold cointegration methods. Oil and food price shocks increase domestic prices in the long run, whereby the impact of food prices dominates. While global prices are weakly exogenous, consumer prices respond to deviations from the equilibrium relationship. The short run adjustment pattern exhibits asymmetries and is particularly strong after positive shocks. Downward rigidities on wages may play a crucial role in this regard, as the relatively weak reactions of consumer prices after negative shocks are related to labour market institutions and public subsidies. The more rigid the regulations the more pronounced are the asymmetries. Robustness checks show that international price shocks do not affect GDP growth.

The Transmission of Oil and Food Prices to Consumer Prices Evidence for the MENA Countries

This paper investigates the effects of global oil and food price shocks to consumer prices in Middle East-North African (MENA) countries using threshold cointegration methods. Oil and food price shocks increase domestic prices in the long run, whereby the impact of food prices dominates. While global prices are weakly exogenous, consumer prices respond to deviations from the equilibrium relationship. The short run adjustment pattern exhibits asymmetries and is particularly strong after positive shocks. Downward rigidities on wages may play a crucial role in this regard, as the relatively weak reactions of consumer prices after negative shocks are related to labour market institutions and public subsidies. The more rigid the regulations the more pronounced are the asymmetries. Robustness checks show that international price shocks do not affect GDP growth.