ABSTRACT

This chapter explores that industrialisation in the Arab countries has not produced so far significant structural changes or contributed markedly to promoting exports. Aside from the fact that industrial development has only a short history, this can be attributed to the way in which industrialisation has been approached in most countries. To demonstrate these aspects of Arab industrialisation, it is useful to give a profile of the industrial structure and policy frameworks governing industrialisation in selected Arab countries. The last Development Plan of Jordan continues the emphasis on manufacturing and mining industry. The plan calls specifically for the achievement of ‘a higher degree of Arab industrial coordination through cooperation with other Arab countries and conforming with their long-term strategies of industrial development’. The chapter concludes by an assessment of the significance of regional industrial integration as a major ingredient of industrial development policy.