Category Archives: PIDE (Policy, International Development & Economics)
Remember the Syrian Electronic Army
Sadly, the so-called Islamic State struck again–this time in Brussels–to claim31 lives and injuring over 270 others. Yes, we realize that the tragic irony is the so-called Islamic State targets Muslims just as brutally–but with less media attention and solidarity … Continue reading
Were Economic Issues the Driving Force For Higher Voter Turnout in #IranElections2016?
What would you rather ponder: the first set of elections after almost four decades of sanctions…or a theory of why a so-called group–whose name will forever not be named in the header of this blog– is gaining more recruits? Fine, … Continue reading
No kidding: GDP grows slower in war than during peacetime #SyriaCrisis #YemenCrisis #iraq
A study by Collier (1999) found that, during civil war, countries tended to grow around 2.2 percentage points more slowly than during peace. ~ World Bank No kidding: War costs money and GDP grows slower in war than during peacetime. … Continue reading
Oil Games: What is the Nash Equilibrium for Iran and Saudi Arabia? #OilGames #
Dear Pita-consumers: We are trying to include both the Saudi Arabia stock exchange index, Tadawul (Tasi) and Iran’s stock exchange index, Tepix, within the PITAPOLICY blog so that you can read and critique our posts while getting updated about the … Continue reading
Food Crisis in Syria Triggers a Drop in Syria’s Human Development Index
Happy New Year PITA-consumers! What are you all expecting for 2016 in business, intra-MENA trade, development goals, and political bargaining? Whether you are an optimist, pessimist or cautiously optimistic, that list is probably long! Before we ramble on and on … Continue reading
One bomb raises the cost of doing business like messed up legislation. #Cost_of_Doing_Biz
Two weeks ago, REBEL ECONOMY blogged about how one bomb in the Sinai adversely affects the Egyptian economy. President Sisi has his eye on a mega $8-billion expansion of the canal that aims to double daily traffic by 2023 and … Continue reading
Economic growth doesn’t translate as citizen growth. #GDP #Wellbeing
The World Bank’s Middle East & North Africa division released a report “Inequality, Uprisings, and Conflict in the Arab World” (included below along with the report link) that confirmed what many non-economists living in Tunisia, Syria, Yemen and Egypt suspected … Continue reading
Rightly, or Wrongly, Neighbors Are Compared #egypt #Tunisia
For many reasons, we are very excited that the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet WON the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize on October 8th –pleasantly surprised since Pope Francis and other names were well circulated on popular polls without any mention of … Continue reading
If We Don’t Compare MENA Countries’ Fiscal Fragility, Then How Will Gather Lessons Learned?
Breaking bread, hence sharing a meal with anyone, symbolizes the conscious and informal way of engaging in respectful conversation. Moreover, if one can “break bread” with another, they have taken the first step towards engagement, and building more concretely upon … Continue reading
UNCTAD says Gaza Could be Uninhabitable by 2020 #BDS
…no human being who visits can remain untouched by the terrible devastation that one sees here in Gaza… the devastation of peoples’ livelihoods is 10 times more shocking~ United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, during a … Continue reading
