The Arab uprisings of 2011, rooted in social disquiet and real or perceived economic imbalance and injustice, have had far-reaching and well-documented consequences for Middle East governments and their people.
The future direction and shape of Middle East economies against this background continues to be a source of conjecture, and next months Arab Economic Forum in Beirut promises to provide yet more food for thought.
The forum, being held on 9 and 10 May, will examine some of the challenges of restoring growth to regional economies, as well as deliberating over strategies to manage economies in countries and in a region in transition.
The forum convenes in a Levant area still seething with conflict - most notably in Syria. The path to political stability and reconstruction of economy and infrastructure chosen by countries which first witnessed uprisings in 2011, such as Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, will also dominate the agenda.
Oil and gas exploration in Lebanon and the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as the resilience of the Arab banking sector in the face of regional and international headwinds, will also be highlighted during the two days.
With some of the regions ruling and business elite expected to be in attendance and ministers and central bank governors making up nearly half the speakers list, the forum should, say the organisers, offer a timely insight into strategic thinking in the context of ongoing regional change.
