Africa and Arab Gulf States Divergent Development Paths and Prospects for Convergence

In spite of the similarities between Sub-Saharan Africa and the Arab Gulf region (Gulf Cooperation Council states), development policies implemented in these two regions of the world have produced markedly different and even divergent outcomes. While Gulf Cooperation Council states have drawn on hyd...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Fofack, Hippolyte
Format: eBook
Language:English
Published: Washington, D.C The World Bank 2009
Online Access:
Collection: World Bank E-Library Archive - Collection details see MPG.ReNa
LEADER 01846nmm a2200217 u 4500
001 EB002099443
003 EBX01000000000000001239533
005 00000000000000.0
007 cr|||||||||||||||||||||
008 221013 ||| eng
100 1 |a Fofack, Hippolyte 
245 0 0 |a Africa and Arab Gulf States  |h Elektronische Ressource  |b Divergent Development Paths and Prospects for Convergence  |c Fofack, Hippolyte 
260 |a Washington, D.C  |b The World Bank  |c 2009 
300 |a 34 p 
700 1 |a Fofack, Hippolyte 
041 0 7 |a eng  |2 ISO 639-2 
989 |b WOBA  |a World Bank E-Library Archive 
028 5 0 |a 10.1596/1813-9450-5025 
856 4 0 |u http://elibrary.worldbank.org/doi/book/10.1596/1813-9450-5025  |x Verlag  |3 Volltext 
082 0 |a 330 
520 |a In spite of the similarities between Sub-Saharan Africa and the Arab Gulf region (Gulf Cooperation Council states), development policies implemented in these two regions of the world have produced markedly different and even divergent outcomes. While Gulf Cooperation Council states have drawn on hydrocarbon revenues to dramatically transform their economic landscape, Sub-Saharan African countries have exhibited abysmal economic and social outcomes. The remarkable increase in personal income and large current account surpluses in Arab Gulf states is in sharp contrast with widespread poverty and recurrent balance of payments crises in Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper reviews the possible causes of these divergent development paths and discusses the prospects for economic convergence in the new globalization landscape of growing trade ties between the two regions. In particular, it shows that development models underpinned by institutional continuity and intergenerational accountability could enhance long-run growth in Sub-Saharan Africa and income convergence between the two regions