Point of View

MEYI’s Youth Ambassador Think Tank is a forum to encourage active discussion on topics of timely relevance to Middle Eastern youth. Our sixth topic solicits perspectives on how sustainable development can be effectively pursued in the Middle East.

MEYI’s Youth Ambassador Think Tank is a forum to encourage active discussion on topics of timely relevance to Middle Eastern youth. Our fourth topic draws on the context of the current global economic crisis and asks participants if economic life in their country takes place in a “high-trust” or “low-trust” setting, how they anticipate this setting might change in the future, and what the effects of these changes will mean for young people.

In the fourth in a series of analyses, "Food, Fuel, and Finance: How Will the Middle East Weather the Global Economic Crisis?", the Middle East Youth Initiative interviews two prominent regional economists, Taher Kanaan and Nader Kabbani, on the impact of the global economic slowdown on the economies of Jordan and Syria, respectively. Edited transcripts of the two conversations follow.

In the third in a series of analyses, "Food, Fuel, and Finance: How Will the Middle East Weather the Global Economic Crisis?", Navtej Dhillon speaks with prominent Middle East economist Heba Handoussa on critical issues facing Egypt’s transitioning economy, including the country’s balance of trade, prospects for small and medium enterprises, and the credit and lending climate. An edited transcript of the interview follows.