Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Though the Maghreb escaped the first wave of the global economic crisis and its growth expectations for 2009 are positive, dramatic falls in commodity prices and world trade will continue to present serious challenges in the coming months.
Although it has begun to move out of isolation, Libya still faces an underdeveloped infrastructure and poor social services, coupled with high unemployment rates.
The Algerian government’s response to the global economic crisis is an emergency package months overdue and unlikely to stimulate economic growth. Restrictions on foreign investment, imports and a complete ban on consumer credit will do little to support an already fragile Algerian economy.
Morocco's Royal Institute for Strategic Studies has reported that the country's biggest challenges to economic growth stem from a lack of leadership, inconsistent policies, and poor governmental communication. Though the diagnosis is accurate, the proposed recommendations fail to address the root causes of these problems.
