-
Islam, Globalization, and Economic Performance in the Middle East
- SAIS Review of International Affairs
- Johns Hopkins University Press
- Volume 24, Number 2, Summer-Fall 2004
- pp. 105-116
- 10.1353/sais.2004.0039
- Article
- Additional Information
- Purchase/rental options available:
The Middle East is a demographic time bomb: the economy must grow 5-6 percent annually for the next two decades to absorb new entrants to the labor force. The only plausible way for this to occur is through a successful process of cross-border economic integration. Islam itself is not an impediment, but public opinion harbors reservations about globalization. This can create a vicious circle in which insecurity in both its economic and cultural dimensions precludes those measures necessary to accelerate growth.