Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction / Hassan Hakimian -- Growth and development in comparative perspectives -- Explaining Growth in the Middle East / Jeffrey B. Nugent -- Is MENA Exceptional? / Julia C. Devin --- Labour force and human development -- Arab Human Development in Comparative Context / Khalid Abu-Ismail and Niranjan Sarangi -- Private Returns to Investment in Education in MENA Countries / Aysit Tansel -- Women's Employment and Labour Force Participation : Puzzles, Problems and Research Needs / Massoud Karshenas and Valentine M. Moghadam -- Natural resources, resources curse and trade -- Can the GCC Economies Escape the Oil Curse? / Raimundo Soto -- From Oil Rents to Inclusive Growth : Lessons from the MENA Region / Hassan Hakimian -- Understanding Water Conflicts in the MENA Region : A Comparative Analysis Using a Restructured Water Poverty Index / Hatem Jemmali and Caroline A. Sullivan -- Trade and Economic Growth in the MENA Region : Do Trade in Goods and Trade in Services Differ in their Impact on Growth? / Fida Karam and Chahir Zak -- Poverty, inequality and social policy -- Poverty and Vulnerability in the MENA Region / Khalid Abu-Ismail -- Measuring Inequality in the Middle East / Facundo Alvaredo, Lydia Assouad and Thomas Piketty --Inequalities in Early Childhood Development in the Middle East and North Africa / Caroline Krafft and Safaa El-Kogali -- Social Policy in the MENA Region / Mahmood Messkoub -- Institutions and transition to democracy -- Religion and Politics : Why the West got Rich and the Middle East Did Not / Jared Rubin -- Islam and Economic Development / David Cobham and Abdallah Zouache -- The Arab Spring, and after : Economic Features and Policy Challenges / David Cobham and Abdallah Zouache -- The Youth Bulge : The Mismeasured, Misunderstood and Mistreated Arab Youth / Zafiris Tzannatos -- Arab Development and the Transition to Democracy / Samir Makdisi -- Corruption, conflict and refugees -- A Pyramid of Privilege : How Cronyism Shapes Business-State Relationship in the Middle East / Izak Atiyas, Ishac Diwan and Adeel Malik -- Refugees in the MENA Region : Historical Overview, Effects and Challenges / Jeffrey B. Nugent -- Gendered Socioeconomic Impacts of Conflict in the Middle East / Jennifer C. Olmsted -- Index.

"This Handbook captures the salient features of Middle Eastern economies and critically examines the public policy responses required to address the challenges and opportunities across the region. Bringing together wide-ranging perspectives from carefully selected and renowned subject specialists, the collection fills a gap in this relatively young and growing academic field. Combining discussion of theory and empirical evidence, the book maps out the evolution of Middle East economics as a field within area studies and applied development economics. Presented in six thematic sections, the book enables the reader to gain a comprehensive understanding of the region's main economic themes and issues: Growth and Development in Comparative Perspectives Labour Force and Human Development Natural Resources, Resource Curse and Trade Poverty, Inequality and Social Policy Institutions and Transition to Democracy Corruption, Conflict and Refugees Providing an overview of the principal economic problems, policies and performances relating to the countries in the Middle East and North Africa region, this collection will be a key resource for upper-level undergraduates, graduates and scholars with an interest in Middle East economics, applied development economics and area studies"--