Poverty fuels protests in the Middle East

In countries such as Egypt and Jordan, the poor are locked out and frustrated because a corrupt elite hogs opportunities and assets.

how the wealthy in countries like Egypt and Jordan have laid claim to virtually all the power and opportunity.

Here in Jordan, as in Egypt and many other countries in the Middle East, there is a large gap between rich and poor. Here, families living below the poverty line, like Taher's, make up more than 13 percent of the population. And there's not much chance for them to escape.He  [Hani Hourani is director of the New Jordan Research Center, which is a think tank in Amman. He says there used to be more mobility in Jordan.]says the disadvantages start early: There's a big difference in the quality of education in public and private schools. And the curricula need to be revamped completely, so that students get the kinds of skills they need to work in a global economy -- whether its training on computers or learning foreign languages.




This system is enabling the elites only and ignoring or isolating the majority of the people. In the long run, it will be a disaster for the country and for the stability.


...families in his community know the importance of education. And some even manage to graduate from high school and go on to the university. But many others end up dropping out of secondary or even primary school. And many children born into poor families grow up to be poor themselves, because it's hard to break the cycle of poverty. It's nearly impossible for kids who start life in a poor family without connections to be accepted into the monied elite.

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Jordan: The Fire Next Door Hani Hourani

At the economic level, Jordan's ties with Iraq are very close. Nearly all of our oil comes from Iraq at highly subsidized rates. Replacing this oil at market prices could cost more than $600 million a year.


Former Minister of Trade and Industry Mohammad al-Samadi estimates that Iraqis buy more than $500 million of Jordanian goods annually. Our trucking industry - 5000 mostly family-owned trucks - is largely dependent on this trade. How much of it will be lost, particularly if a new regime in Baghdad punishes Jordan for its close ties with the Iraqi government, is a worrying question. Fahed al-Fanek, a leading Jordanian economist, estimates that the war could cost Jordan as much as 25% of its GDP, about $2 billion.