Anatomy of the Case of Arab countries and the WTO

The article discusses accession of Arab countries to the WTO and some of the obstacles they face. The article also examines the impact of the multilateral trading system on selected sectors such as oil and agriculture of Arab countries. The proposition in this article is that the WTO is not a perfect institution. In WTO accession, politics matter more than commerce or trade. I argue that joining the WTO is a balancing act. As a result of economic liberalization, there would losers in industries of Arab countries. However, winners could compensate for any loss.