This insightful book focuses on the role of fiscal policy in common markets, especially in the context of the supranational constructs in the Gulf Cooperation Council, comprising Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. It draws on the experience of the EU and the importance of VAT, and reflects on the other main common market in Central America. Although oil windfalls have opened a window of opportunity for the Gulf States, at the same time they have created numerous problems. In particular, the uncertainty associated with periods of boom and bust in the oil market has made the formulation and implementation of sound fiscal policies a formidable task. In this study, the distinguished authors present the background to current fiscal reforms and address the critical challenges facing the Gulf States including the choice between consumption and saving (or current needs and future requirements); intra-generational equity issues; the pro-cyclicality of fiscal policy; fiscal sustainability and the prudent management of revenues from finite oil reserves. They examine the case for VAT to substantially replace customs duties, a significant source of non-oil revenue which would be lost as a result of free trade agreements between the GCC and key trading partners. They also demonstrate how an agreed design for VAT would assist in furthering economic integration, and enhance trade and exports. If properly sequenced, VAT would have a negligible impact on both inflation and the poor, and would be progressive in relation to the customs duties replaced. This highly topical book will be of great interest to academics specializing in public sector economics and public finance, and to national and international policymakers involved in fiscal reform.

This book ? written by leading academics and practitioners in the field ? brings together cutting edge research on exchange rate regime and monetary union issues. There is a particular focus on the implications for member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) which is itself working towards forming a monetary union for the Gulf States.The relatively dramatic movements in the US dollar in the recent past, and also in the early 1990s, have called the practice of pegging to the US dollar into question for a group of countries that predominantly rely on hydrocarbons as their primary export. The book considers the key issues which must be addressed by the GCC in trying to form a monetary union for the Gulf countries and also the rigid pegging of member states? currencies to the US dollar. The proposed monetary union raises clear issues in terms of the appropriateness of such a regime for these countries and whether, for example, the necessary institutional mechanisms are in place ahead of the proposed union. Currency Union and Exchange Rate Issues brings together the perspectives of a group of experts who focus on these important issues, and provide analysis of the policy options. Academics, policymakers and postgraduates in international finance will find much to consider and learn from in this informative book.

Over the last 50 years, Dubai has transformed itself from a small fishing and trading village into an integrated, modern, and vibrant economy. The development process was initiated by oil richness but, unlike most other oil exporters, it has successfully diversified away from hydrocarbons with the creation of world-class clusters of financial services, tourism, and trading activities. Understandably, Dubai has become a model of economic development not only for the other six emirates that comprise the UAE, but also for most regional economies. Indeed, its success in diversifying its economic base makes Dubai an interesting case study for any resource-dependent economy wishing to achieve sustainable prosperity by engaging in better-balanced growth paths than those typically induced by the exploitation of natural resources. This book provides a comprehensive economic and historical account of the evolution of the economy of Dubai since the foundation of the United Arab Emirates in 1971. It focuses on its transformations and experiences and the roles played by government policies and private sector initiatives. Based on solid analysis, it provides a perspective and policy recommendations on the way forward in an intensely increasing competitive global economy.