Transport Infrastructure and Regional Integration in the Middle East

Abstract

The soft aspects of the infrastructure of regionalism in the Middle East have previously been studied, while the impact of the region’s hard infrastructure, in particular transport infrastructure, has received little attention. This paper contributes to the study of regionalism in the Middle East by investigating the relationship between hard infrastructure and economic integration. It analyzes whether the state of domestic and cross‐border transport infrastructure in the region promotes regional trade. This is done by addressing the following sub‐questions: 1) What is the condition of domestic and cross‐border transport infrastructure in the Middle East? And 2) What is the relationship between domestic and cross‐border transport infrastructure and regional trade in the Middle East? These questions are answered by examining Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Turkey as representative samples of the broader region. It is argued that regionalism relies on the development of domestic and cross‐border transport infrastructure and where the latter is limited, regionalism cannot deepen. The study concludes that domestic and cross‐border transport infrastructure performance is weak in several of the countries studied and that this weakness hinders regional economic integration regardless of the level of the region’s soft infrastructure.

Regional integration and public healthcare environment: Evidence from China

“…The evolution of this division of labor pattern can have a significant impact on the public healthcare environment in cities across the region. As rapid economic growth can lead to the enhancement of social aspects, on the one hand, there will be a significant improvement in transportation infrastructure ( 25 ). Regional integration requires regions joining the alliance to build faster information channels and easier ways to exchange resources to meet the growing demand for economic development ( 26 ).…”

Measuring Customer Reservation Price for Maintenance, Repair and Operations of the Metro Public Transport System in Qatar

“…Distance from optional metro station to users Citizens request of improved metro transport service depends on existing options [5,62] 0: options placed close to users 10: options placed distant from users…”

“…Inappropriate financing of railway MRO could turn into an obstacle for the supply of reliable railway services in some countries of the Middle East [2,3]. Although remarkable progress has been made in recent years, increasing railway service to remote locations [4,5], this has not translated into reliable service delivery [6,7]. Actually, a 2019 International Railway Agency (UIC) report on the average railway service sector functionality rates indicates that a significant amount of railway systems experience interruptions a few years after their implementation [8].…”

Asia-Pacific Regional Cooperation and Integration Index:

“…Cross-border infrastructure connectivity is another catalyst for regional cooperation and integration (Roland-Holst 2009). Better roads, efficient transport systems, and improved cross-border trade policies boost regional economic activity (ADB 2019b;El-Anis 2021;Hanson, Owusu, and Puplampu 2015) and enable sustained economic growth. The index attempts through this dimension to capture the important role of infrastructure in regional integration by including four indicators on trade costs, transport connectivity, international flight passenger capacity, and logistics performance and business regulations.…”