Is MENA a Region? The Scope for Regional Integration

IMF Working Papers, April 1, 1996

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Is MENA a Region? The Scope for Regional Integration

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Bibliographic details

• Authors: Stanley Fischer, Mohamed A. El-Erian
• Published: April 1, 1996
• Series: IMF Working Papers
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781451980363.001

Overview

• Authors: Stanley Fischer, Mohamed A. El-Erian
• Date: April 1, 1996
• Core focus: analyzes the scope and implications of greater economic integration in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
• Approach: reviews whether MENA satisfies the defining characteristics of a region, documents the low level of regional economic interaction, and discusses measures aimed directly at facilitating regional interaction.

Main findings

• The paper documents a low level of regional economic interaction within MENA.
• Gains from greater regional interactions will depend primarily on implementing domestic reform and external policies.
• These domestic reforms and external policies are, in any case, needed for the region to benefit from the broader process of globalization of the world economy.
• The paper also discusses measures aimed directly at facilitating regional interaction.

Policy implications and recommendations

• Priority should be given to domestic reforms and external policy adjustments as the main route to realizing gains from regional integration.
• Measures that directly facilitate regional interaction are discussed as complementary steps to domestic and external reforms.