Economic integration is an important means to generate income and employment, to boost investment and to spur structural transformation toward more diversified and broad-based economic models. Services do not only satisfy domestic consumption and investment demands but are also exported and used as intermediate inputs and, through their vital impact on the productive efficiency of other sectors, services are a determining factor in a country’s  participation in international production networks. Coupled with the fact that the services sector tend to account for rather large and growing shares of output, employment, and foreign direct investment, services remain a key area in deeper regional economic integration efforts to reap sizable socio-economic benefits.

“Arab Integration: A 21st Century Development Imperative” is the name of the flagship report produced by ESCWA in preparation for the upcoming Arab Economic Forum set to be held in Tunisia early next year.
To launch the report, the Carnegie Middle East Centre is organizing a panel at 9:30 AM tomorrow Tuesday, at the Pheonicia Intercontinental Hotel, Beirut. The panel, which will gather leading thinkers from the Arab region, will be opened by former Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and ESCWA Executive Secretary Rima Khalaf.

The advancement of women’s rights is a matter of urgency in the Arab region and essential for meaningful development. Although significant progress towards women’s empowerment has been made in most Arab countries, women in the region continue to face great challenges and uncertainty, particularly in situations of conflict, economic difficulties and political instability. Gender-based discrimination remains widespread and their access to resources, opportunities and decision-making continues to be limited.

This report focuses on the analysis of the most recent socio-economic developments to meet two objectives. The first one aims at demonstrating the analytical observation of routinely monitored economic and social variables of the Arab region. The second area of focus aims at an in-depth analysis on the reforms of the energy subsidy system and its macroeconomic implication, with particularly focus on two countries: Tunisia (oil importer) and Saudi Arabia (oil exporter).