Private sector and enterprise development : fostering growth in the Middle East and North Africa

Abstract

This important and well-researched book examines the challenges to private sector growth in 12 Middle East and North African countries, assessing comparative performance against a number of indicators and focusing on the special role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurial activity. Author Lois Stevenson highlights the variation among countries in private sector dynamism and performance, the major government policy initiatives supporting private sector and SME activity in each country, and the perspectives of government officials, researchers, and other stakeholders on research, policy, and institutional capacity needs. She concludes with a framework for guiding a comprehensive set of policies and strategies to unleash the potential of entrepreneurship as a platform for future private sector growth. Private Sector and Enterprise Development will be an invaluable resource for the policymaking, research, and donor communities, for stakeholders involved in building capacity in private sector and SME policy development, and for scholars interested in entrepreneurship and development in the Middle East and North Africa.