In the wake of the Gulf War a fresh examination of Arab development is needed. Development tensions between the economic goals and the Islamic aspirations of the region's peoples have increased.This introductory text assesses how economic and social systems have changed over recent decades in the Arab region. The book considers how revenues from oil have had wide-spread implications for the industrial and agricultural environments of the Arab states. Contrasting Arab and western interpretations of 'development', it draws on case studies covering states as diverse as Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Morocco and Jordan. It concludes that until the Arabs define their own identity, there will continue to be 'change' but not necessarily 'progress'.