Although "Arab Spring" is the name given to the latest events in the Middle East, I am of the opinion that the Arab world has just entered into a winter. Dictators are falling like leaves but it will take a while for the spring to blossom. Moreover, unlike in nature, the transition is not an automatic process. Spring will come only if certain pre-conditions are fulfilled.
Wilson, Rodney (Conservative Middle East Council, 2011)
The events of the Arab Spring have not only profound political implications but also have significance for the economies of the Middle East and their trading partners. In the short run the political uncertainty and lack of law and order has damaged economic activity, but in the long term the Arab Spring could prove beneficial for the region which has seriously underperformed other emerging markets. How can partners such as the United Kingdom help ensure a positive economic outcome from the Arab Spring rather than continuing economic meltdown if domestic turbulence continues?
