Business politics in the Middle East / Steffen Hertog, Giacomo Luciani, Marc Valeri (editors).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Although most Arab countries remain authoritarian, many have undergone a restructuring of state-society relations. Lower- and middle-class interest groups have lost ground, while big business has benefited in terms of its integration into policy-making and the opening-up of economic sectors that used to be state-dominated. Arab businesses have also started taking on aspects of public service provision in health, media and education that used to be the domain of the state, while also becoming increasingly active in philanthropy. Among the topics addressed by the contributing authors are: the role of business in recent regime change; the political outlook of businessmen; the consequences of economic liberalisation on the composition of business elites in the Middle East; the role of the private sector in orienting government policies; lobbying of government by business interests; and the mechanisms by which governments seek to keep businesses dependent upon them. The Arab Spring is likely to lead to a more pluralistic political order in the Middle East and this makes it all the more important to understand business interests in the region. They are a segment of society that have often been close to the ancien regime, but will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in a future social contract.

I. Introduction: The Role of MENA Business in Policy-Making and Political Transitions / Steffen Hertog -- 2. Oligarchy vs. Oligarchy: Business and Politics of Reform in Bahrain and Oman / Marc Valeri -- 3. Private Sector Actors in the UAE and their Role in the Process of Economic and Political Reform / Khalid Almezaini -- 4. The Politics of Shi'i Merchants in Kuwait / Rivka Azoulay -- 5. Breaking Loose: Reduced Private Sector Dependence on Governments in GCC Economies / Nathan Hodson -- 6. CSR and Reputation Building in Syria: Contextualizing the "Business Case / Kjetil Selvik -- 7. Syria's Reforms under Bashar al-Asad: An Opportunity for Foreign-Educated Entrepreneurs to Move into Decision-Making? / Tina Zintl -- 8. The Politics of"Good Governance" in Mubarak's Egypt: Western Donors and SME Politics under Authoritarian Rule / Diane Zovighian -- 9. Vectors oflranian Capitalism: Privatization Politics in the Islamic Republic / Kevan Harris -- 10. The Hound that did not Bark: Solving the Mystery of Business without Voice in Egypt / Robert Springborg -- 11. Businesses and the Revolution / Giacomo Luciani.