Challenges and realities on the ground:
- One in five Arabs still live on less than $2 a day.
- Over the past 20 years growth in income per head in the Arab World is at an annual rate of .5%, which is lower than anywhere else in the world except sub-Saharan Africa.
- At this rate it will take the average Arab 140 years to double his income, a target that some regions are set to reach in less than 10 years.
Source: United Nations Arab Development Report, 2002
Emigration & Brain Drain from the Arab World
- As of 1965-- 75 million migrants
- As of 2002-- 175 million migrants
- By 2010-- 214 million migrants
Source: International Organization for Migration (IOM)
The role of global Arab communities in filling the gap
“A key driver of change would be a transformation in attitudes and societal incentives towards creativity and innovation. The rules of the social game need to be modified to provide incentives for embracing change and affording real opportunities for social recognition, renewal and advancement, for those who work in areas of knowledge and advancement. The knowledge gap can also be reduced by rebuilding links with expatriate Arabs… and encouraging them to return to work in the Arab region.”
Source: United Nations Development Programme. Arab Human Development Report 2002