An Arab economy for an Arab world: Time for a Paradigm Shift (by Abdallah Al Dardari)

The prospect of an integrated Arab economy has been central to the discourse of regional integration in the Arab world for decades. By turn touted as panacea and dismissed as a dream, Arab economic integration occupies an undefined space in the regional policy landscape. Sixteen years after the adoption of the Great Arab Free Trade Agreement, and multiple resolutions and initiatives in support of economic integration later, it is difficult to identify a propelling mechanism for regional economic integration or to outline a common, realistic and effective trajectory for its realization. We must acknowledge the disconnections that exist between the available infrastructure, the technical knowledge necessary for implementation, and the political framework governing approaches to economic integration in the Arab world. What future, then for an Arab economy?