Most countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region spend a considerable share of their national income on social protection. In Egypt and Jordan, for example, this share ranges between 20 and 25 %. Most of the money, however, is used for social protection instruments that suffer...

There are some microinsurance schemes in Western Asia but not many. The question is why? The existence of microinsurance in Western Asia shows that it is principally feasible in this part of the world. And the large range of different products offered by the existing scheme shows that the...

After independence, energy and food subsidies became a cornerstone of the social contracts in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries. Governments spent heavily to reduce poverty and strengthen their own legitimacy. However, as government rents faded, subsidy spending became...

How relevant are the internationally agreed Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for the Middle East and North Africa? What consequences do they have for development cooperation, especially German development cooperation, with that world region? The study by Markus Loewe provides an answer to...

The introductory article of this special issue looks at the genesis, characteristics and challenges of social protection schemes in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It argues that social protection policies in the MENA should be seen as a key ingredient of the social contract that...

Le contrat social est un concept clé des sciences sociales portant sur les relations entre l'État et la société. Il renvoie à l'en-semble des accords explicites ou implicites intervenant entre tous les groupes sociaux concernés et le souverain (c.-à-d. le gouvernement ou tout autre acteur...

The social contract is a key concept in social science literature focusing on state-society relations. It refers to the "entirety of explicit or implicit agreements between all relevant societal groups and the sovereign (i.e. the government or any other actor in power), defining their rights and...