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Abdelkader Djeflat Professor of Economics at the University of Lille * A broad outline of the project: This manuscript addresses a very important issue, not often raised in the existing literature of the Arab world regional system of innovation with two key questions: does it exist as such? what implications does it have on the economies the region? It is important and timely work considering the growing awareness amongst researchers and policy-makers of the region in particular of the backwardness the countries in terms of innovation and knowledge for growth and competitiveness. Several oil producing in the region feel the vulnerability they are in and they should work hard on the after oil era. It adopts an interesting comparative approach, looking at four different categories of countries. It aims at adding at filling the gap in the existing literature regarding the relationship between systems of innovation and the structure of the economy and draws important implications useful for policy-makers and the advancement of research on the Arab region. The typology it used on the basis of natural resources seems quite useful and helps to bring in a real added value even as the links can easily be made between innovation performances and economic dynamics. The relationship it builds between economic structure and innovation system is not very common and constitute another important contribution. * Critical analysis of its strengths and weaknesses The article has undeniably several merits: -the first one is to establish clear objectives at the start namely, examining three hypotheses, which serve as a guideline throughout the work and prevent from being too general. It put the emphasis on the institutional dimension of the weaknesses of the innovation systems in the region and this is very valuable although it is not really new in the existing literature: it was addressed by various authors who work on innovation, innovation systems and knowledge economy : Zahlan, Aubert and Refers, Driouchi, Djeflat, Oukil and Andersson. -The second one is linking systems of innovation and economic structure and competitiveness, through various indicators which is not always found in existing literature. The indicators chosen are fairly conventional and relate to education, S&T, R&D and ICT. Often ICTs have been neglected in the existing work on systems of innovation and it is useful to examine this dimension which is vital for the systemic dimension of innovation. -the third merit is the attempt to make a broad survey of the existing literature in the region on the issues of national systems of innovation and an attempt to harness the concept of regional system of innovation and to apply it to the region. -the fourth merit is the impressive amount of recent data collected, even if it is from secondary sources and mostly from international organizations. But this can be quite understandable considering the relative weakness of academic literature on the topic and the relatively difficult access to data. -the final merit is to have substantiated all three hypotheses which clearly indicates that only and its use in the typological framework of Arab countries used. There are several weaknesses both on the substance and on the form: -we feel a little uneasy about the concept of RIS used to analyze the reality of the innovation system of the world, bearing in mind that, unlike Europe, the Arab region does not exist as a connected and integrates space. With the exception perhaps of the GCC countries, the rest are individual and have country-based approach to their innovation policy. -there are not enough scientific and analytical arguments to attest that this RIS exists in an effective manner even if the author firmly believes it does and keeping asserting it throughout the work. The work of Fergany, which is referred to, does not address the systemic dimension of the region, but mainly its common characteristics, which is not enough. More arguments are needed, substantiated by the literature are needed to be able to talk about a RIS in the region. -Besides, the author argues (p.31) that there is very little scientific cooperation between the Arab countries National Innovation systems are not interacting and therefore , it is difficult to talk about a regional system of innovation - the literature mobilized, though extensive and appropriate, is focused on regional systems of innovation meaning of territory-based systems of innovation within the same country, ie: the new regionalism trend which increased with globalization. In Europe, this concept has been used in two ways : when there are common major programs involving simultaneously several or all the European countries in an integrated manner as for example : the old Eureka, Erasmus, or the current Horizon 2020 EU 70 billion euros framework program for research and innovation 2014-2020) or to compare regions of different European countries as mentioned in the work. -the analysis seems more an compendium of countries grouped in different blocks while the interactive dimension which the essence of the existence of a system is discarded right at the beginning and not addressed in the analysis. -the literature review on NSI in the Arab world is either too old or incomplete: contributions from: Zahlan (2006, 2012), Oukil (2011), Bizri (2013), M'henni (2010), Djeflat (2002, 2010) Andersson & Djeflat (2013) Driouichi (2013) are not referred to; yet they have published on National Innovation in the Arab World looking at various aspects and assessing the strengths and the weaknesses either at regional level or at country level. * The quality and significance of the project: The objective to address a comparative study of the national innovation system both within the region and in relation to the rest of the world is quite interesting. Making an update of the situation is also quite relevant. * Its originality and relation to existing works in the field Its originality rests on: -first, the use of the typology of the Arab world in four categories to analyze the innovation systems of the region. -second, the enormous amount data mobilized and the calculation of the various ratios and percentage using existing secondary data to analyze the innovation systems of the four categories of countries -third to concentrate on the institutional dimension which is indeed the current single most important factor, even the raisons why institutions are not working is not addressed and this one of the regrets * Structure, organization, and presentation of the material: -overall, the structure in six sections is correct and does not raise any difficulty. Nonetheless: -often the text repeats again and again the figures which are already in the tables: this is not only unnecessary, and difficult to read sometimes but this is done sometimes at the expenses of the analytical dimension -Several sentences are confusing and not easy to read: this makes it difficult to follow the arguments and analysis of the author (see track changes in the text) -Many of the figures are not easy to read and on several occasions the text is not conform to the figures (see track changes in the text) - More difficult is the reasoning: which we detail be low - 1st hypothesis: the regional systems of innovation exist but is characterized by serious weaknesses in the Arab region compared with other world regions (in terms of S&T, innovation, knowledge, technological capabilities, spending on information and communication technology (ICT), competitiveness and integration in the world economy). - 2nd hypothesis: that the structure of the economy has significant effect in the performance of innovations system in the Arab region: (it is not clear how? it needs further and more concise formulation). 3rd hypothesis: the poor Arab systems of innovation have serious implications in terms of poor competitiveness, integration in the global economy, knowledge economy index, share of high technology export, technology infrastructure, technology achievement index and capacity to create knowledge in the Arab region. - The same factors seem to be the causes (hypothesis 1) and the consequences (hypothesis 3) : to be clearer and have no ambiguity, the hypotheses need reformulating in more concise manner. * Recommendations for revision (please indicate whether these are fundamental to the project's success or discretionary issues that should not affect a publication decision. Please specifically mention if any sections should be cut or expanded) -The section on Regional Innovation System (RIS), with a prospect of regional integration should be expanded and perhaps less emphasis should be made on the literature from geographical economics the new regionalism, which uses region, meaning territory and which is bound to add to the confusion. This is fundamental to the article's balance and viability. -The typology of Arab countries adopted raises some questions. The author refers to three sources to substantiate this choice (see extracts from the text below). 'According to the World Bank classification (2005), the Arab resources oil based economies includes only six countries: UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Oman, Arab mixed oil economies includes Algeria and Libya. Arab diversified economies include six countries: Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, oil primary exports economies includes Djibouti, Sudan, Mauritania and Yemen and Comoros. Other countries include: Iraq, Occupied Palestine Territories and Somalia'. 'To highlight the economic diversity of the region, ERF (1998) grouped the countries of the region into four broad categories: mixed oil economies (MOE: Algeria, Iraq and Libya); oil economies (OE), which include the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE; diversified economies (DE: Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia); and primary export economies (PEE: Comoros, Djibouti, Mauritania, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen)'. (Ali, 1998: p. 11)'. -It is not clear which is original source of this typology, but most worrying is that neither of the documents referred to is in the list of references: - the document produced by the World Bank (2005) which is missing from the list of reference and could not be found on the Webb, -A document referred to as (Ali 1998) is also missing from the list of references. -ERF (1998) mentioned but with no precise references of the document and the page numbers. It is difficult to trace in the EFR literature It is vitally important that this issue of source is solved before publication. It is one of the key benefits of the work. * Any problems regarding citations, terminology, accuracy, etc. Several problems related most often to the style with unnecessary repetition of words, confusing sentences. All this is signaled in track changes in the text. * Timeliness and likely shelf-life of the research * Likely competition or comparable books: Competition coming mostly from reports and studies made by several international organizations (UNDP, World Bank Institute on knowledge-based economy in the Mena region, Economic research forum literature. Other publications have addressed the issue of national system of innovation, but not the regional system of innovation issue, provided that the author, manage to overcome the obstacles mentioned earlier. : * Likely readership (what fields will it appeal to? what level is it written to?) This work might appeal to students on the Middle East economies, and mostly to post-graduate students and researchers in economics on national systems of innovation, knowledge economy.

Mohamed Nour provides a very nice comprehensive and detailed account of the national systems of innovation in the Arab Region. She carefully identifies the impediments posed by the rent sharing nature of natural resource-based economies. The emphasis on proper institutional settings as a requirement for innovation and the systematic comparative study of (the lack of) these settings in the Arab region leads to a challenging analysis and also provides clear policy recommendations. - Joan Muysken, Professor Emeritus, Department of Economics, School of Business and Economics, Maastricht University, The Netherlands This book is of great value for all those who think that deep reforms are needed in the Arab Region in order to realize inclusive growth. It becomes quite clear that inclusive growth cannot be reached without reforms of the national innovation systems, and that these reforms are interrelated with comprehensive socio-economic reforms. Key subsystems of the national innovation systems and the respective institutions are carefully identified for the Arab countries and analyzed in context. Policymakers in Arab countries and all those working on the region need to study the book carefully. It contains a wealth of information for the move towards a knowledge society in the Arab region. The subsystems (education, higher education, and training; science and technology and research and development; and ICT) are excellently brought into connection with the economic structures and policies prevailing in the Arab region. - Karl Wohlmuth, Professor Emeritus and Director of the Research Group on African Development Perspectives, University of Bremen, Germany Triggered by the desolate prospects for social and economic security, the Arab region is going through a period of dramatic change. One of the region's economic challenges will be to transform its rentier system into an economic system of innovation that fosters the development of added value chains and productive sectors with job prospects and social inclusion for its - mainly youth - population. Mohamed Nour's book provides an insightful analysis of the characteristics, constraints, and policy options for Arab countries to transition towards internationally competitive and inclusive economies, and how innovation and technology and knowledge transfer play a crucial role. - Jacques van der Meer, Managerial Advisor, Projects Directorate, Department of Innovation and Competitiveness, European Investment Bank, Luxembourg

Author Information

Dr. Samia Satti Osman Mohamed Nour is Affiliated Researcher at United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT), Netherlands, and Associate Professor of Economics at Khartoum University, Sudan. She received her PhD in Economics from Maastricht University (Netherlands) in 2005. She is the author of Technological Change and Skill Development in Sudan (2013), Technological Change and Skill Development in Arab Gulf Countries (2013), and Information and Communication Technology in Sudan (2015), and co-author of the Arab States Chapter of the UNESCO Science Report (2015). Dr. Nour has worked as Economic Consultant for international institutions such as the European Investment Bank (EIB), ILO, OECD, UNDP, UNFPA and UNECA. She was a member of the advisory committee for the UNDP Third Arab Knowledge Report 2014. She received the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development Distinguished Scholar Award and Post Doctoral Fellowship (2010-2011) and the University of Khartoum Scientific Excellence Award Prize in Humanities and Educational Studies (in the field of Economics) (2013).

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