The introductory article of this special issue looks at the genesis, characteristics and challenges of social protection schemes in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It argues that social protection policies in the MENA should be seen as a key ingredient of the social contract that...

Social protection schemes in Arab countries show deficits regarding efficiency and social fairness. Some Arab countries spend a fifth of their GDP on social protection but the bulk of funds goes to a relatively small group of urban middle income earners or is lost on half-way for administrative...

The article’s subject is social protection in the Arab world. Giving the example of Egypt, it asks why poverty is so widespread and why – despite the country’s numerous sophisticated social protection systems – social risks are a major contributing factor to it. It concludes that reforms...

The Palestinian Authority should build up a social protection scheme in order to cushion the negative social effects of the economic development in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and to stabilise the Palestinian society and political system. The current schemes suffer from duplications, deficits...

This paper analyses Egypt's social protection systems. It asks why poverty is so widespread and why – despite the country's numerous sophisticated social protection systems - social risks are a major contributing factor to poverty in Egypt. It concludes that reforms are due. The existing...