DEAD SEA, Jordan, 23 May 2005 — The World Economic Forum’s third attempt to come to grips with the economic and political intricacies of the Middle East and North Africa ended yesterday with a surfeit of questions over answers. Is there really an “Arab spring” under way with democracy blossoming across the region, as US officials claimed? Why did so few senior European officials and business leaders turn up for the three-day event in Jordan? How can the Arab world possibly compete when the World Bank says it needs growth rates akin to those of Asian tiger economies if it is going to avoid an unemployment meltdown? US officials were out in strength at the meeting, designed to be a high-profile gathering of global political and business leaders to push for peace and prosperity.
