Abstract
2019, Book Chapter, "The paper is concerned about the future of state-business relations (SBRs) in the region, and about the potential for private sector growth. Can the new environment of heightened popular demands and lower oil prices encourage the political regimes in place to improve their efforts at boosting economic growth, even at the political risk of tolerating a larger private sector? I outline four types of relatively successful SBRs models that have taken hold in the MENA region, and ask if particular models can be replicated in the rest of the region. In this discussion, I outline how the intensity of social movements, and the ways the state reacts to them, influences the formation of SBRs. The main conclusion is that for many regimes, there seem to be only bad options to choose from, ushering an age of dilemma with uncertain choices and prospects."
HKS Author Website - Ishac Diwan