Beyond Neoliberalism: Industrial Policy and Regional Integration in the Middle East and North Africa

The PEMENA Conference examines the region’s historical and contemporary experiences with industrial policy to critique neoliberal capitalism and envision post-neoliberal alternatives. By positioning MENA at the center of global debates on free trade, financial liberalization, labor restrictions, and fossil-fuel dependence. It explores the historical evolution and current state of industrial policy, the political dynamics among states, businesses, labor unions, and international actors, and the role of trade schemes and special economic zones. The conference also addresses green transitions in oil-importing countries and the intersections of food sovereignty, political ecology, and agribusiness.