Spatiality of Corruption in the Middle East and North Africa

Warf, Barney

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-03478-8_4

Barney Warf³

Part of the book series: GeoJournal Library ((GEJL,volume 125))

709 Accesses
1 Citations

Abstract

This chapter is a summary of corruption in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It situates corruption in its historical and spatial context, noting the role of the “resource curse” in driving it. The empirical analysis explores the varying levels of severity, maps corruption scores, bribery rates, and includes a correlation analysis. It then turns to a case study of Turkey. The next section addresses corruption in the Arab world, followed by a case study of Saudi Arabia. It then offers case studies of Israel and Iran. The conclusion reiterates the major findings, notes the most modernized Middle Eastern states tend to have the lowest levels of corruption, criticizes anti-corruption campaigns as hollow rhetoric, and offers steps to mitigate corruption in the future.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Chapter: USD 29.95; Price excludes VAT (USA)

eBook: USD 129.00; Price excludes VAT (USA)

Hardcover Book: USD 169.99; Price excludes VAT (USA)

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

Abrahamian, E. (1982). Iran between two revolutions. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Google Scholar
Acar, M., & Emek, U. (2009). Preventing corruption in Turkey: Issues, instruments and institutions. In T. Gong & S. Ma (Eds.), Preventing corruption in Asia: Institutional design and policy capacity (pp. 164–188). London: Routledge.
Google Scholar
Adaman, F. (2011). Is corruption a drawback to Turkey’s accession to the European Union? South European Society and Politics, 16(2), 309–321.
Article Google Scholar
al-Ali, Z. (2014, August 10). Iraq’s rot starts at the top. New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/11/opinion/iraq-s-rot-starts-at-the-top.html.
Alamdari, K. (2005). The power structure of the Islamic Republic of Iran: Transition from populism to clientelism, and militarization of the government. Third World Quarterly, 26(8), 1285–1301.
Article Google Scholar
al-Khatteeb, L. (2016, May 19). Corruption in Iraq: Where did all the money go? National Interest. http://nationalinterest.org/feature/corruption-iraq-where-did-all-the-money-go-16279.
Alley, A. (2010). The rules of the game: Unpacking patronage politics in Yemen. Middle East Journal, 64(3), 385–409.
Article Google Scholar
Anderson, L. (2011). Demystifying the Arab Spring: Parsing the differences between Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya. Foreign Affairs, 90(3), 2–7.
Google Scholar
Arafa, M. (2011). Towards a culture for accountability: A new dawn for Egypt. Phoenix Law Review, 1, 2–20.
Google Scholar
Arango, T. (2013, December 25). Corruption scandal is edging near Turkish premier. New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/26/world/europe/turkish-cabinet-members-resign.html?_r=0.
Arslan, H., & Vatandaş, A. (2017). Government corruption and authoritarian rule in Turkey. In P. Gottschalk & P. Stanislas (Eds.), Public corruption: Regional and national perspectives on procurement fraud. New York: Taylor and Francis.
Google Scholar
Aybar, S., & Lapavitsas, C. (2001). The recent Turkish crisis: Another step toward free market authoritarianism. Historical Materialism, 8, 279–308.
Article Google Scholar
Baran, Z. (2000). Corruption: The Turkish challenge. Journal of International Affairs, 54(1), 127–146.
Google Scholar
Barnett, A., Yandle, B., & Naufal, G. (2013). Regulation, trust, and cronyism in Middle Eastern societies: The simple economics of ‘wasta’. Journal of Socio-Economics, 44, 41–46.
Article Google Scholar
Baroud, R. (2017, November 16). Corruption in Israel is not just an Israeli issue. Counterpunch. https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/11/16/corruption-in-israel-is-not-just-an-israeli-issue/.
Bedirhanoğlu, P. (2007). The neoliberal discourse on corruption as a means of consent building: Reflections from post-crisis Turkey. Third World Quarterly, 28(7), 1239–1254.
Article Google Scholar
Benar, H. (2007). Has globalization increased income inequality in the MENA region? International Journal of Economic Perspectives, 1(4), 195–211.
Google Scholar
Benchemsi, A. (2012). Morocco: Outfoxing the opposition. Journal of Democracy, 23(1), 57–69. http://journalofdemocracy.org/sites/default/files/Benchemsi-23-1.pdf.
Article Google Scholar
Birdsall, N., & Subramanian, A. (2004). Saving Iraq from its oil. Foreign Affairs, 83(4), 77–89.
Article Google Scholar
Borshchevskaya, A. (2010). Sponsored corruption and neglected reform in Syria. Middle East Quarterly Summer, 41–50.
Google Scholar
Carmody, P. (2009). Cruciform sovereignty, matrix governance and the scramble for Africa’s oil: Insights from Chad and Sudan. Political Geography, 28(6), 353–361.
Article Google Scholar
Chalfaouat, A. (2016, August 5). Corruption is crippling Morocco’s nascent democracy. Middle East Monitor. https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20160805-corruption-is-crippling-moroccos-nascent-democracy/.
Cockburn, P. (2006). The occupation: War and resistance in Iraq. London: Verso.
Google Scholar
Corduneanu-Huci, C. (2016). Taming corruption: Rent potential, collective action, and taxability in Morocco. Business and Politics, 18(3), 297–335.
Article Google Scholar
Corke, S., Finkel, A., Kramer, D., Robbins, C., & Schenkkan, N. (2013). Democracy in crisis: Corruption, media, and power in Turkey (Freedom House Special Report). https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1021206/1226_1391680288_turkey-20report-20-20feb-203-2c-202014.pdf.
Coşgel, M., Ergene, B., Etkes, H., & Miceli, T. (2013). Crime and punishment in Ottoman times: Corruption and fines. Journal of Interdisciplinary History Winter, 353–376.
Article Google Scholar
Cunningham, R., & Sarayrah, Y. (1993). Wasta: The hidden force in Middle Eastern society. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger.
Google Scholar
Davidson, C. (2000). Reform and repression in Mubarak’s Egypt. Fletcher Journal of World Affairs, 24, 75–96.
Google Scholar
Denoeux, G. (2000). The politics of Morocco’s ‘fight against corruption’. Middle East Policy, 7(2), 165–189.
Article Google Scholar
Denoeux, G. (2007). Corruption in Morocco: Old forces, new dynamics and a way forward. Middle East Policy, 14(4), 134–151.
Article Google Scholar
Dodge, T. (2014). Can Iraq be saved? Global Politics and Strategy, 56(5), 7–20.
Google Scholar
Doig, A. (2010). Asking the right questions? Addressing corruption and EU accession: The case study of Turkey. Journal of Financial Crime, 17(1), 9–21.
Article Google Scholar
Domoro, O., & Agil, S. (2012). Factors influencing police corruption in Libya—A preliminary analysis. International Journal of Economics and Management Sciences, 2(2), 25–35.
Google Scholar
Erdbrink, T., Kirkpatrick, D. & Tabrizy, N. (2018, January 20). How corruption and cronyism in banking fueled Iran’s protests. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/20/world/middleeast/iran-protests-corruption-banks.html.
Eyre, C. (2011). Patronage, power, and corruption in pharaonic Egypt. International Journal of Public Administration, 34(11), 701–711.
Article Google Scholar
Fadel, M. (2011a). Public corruption and the Egyptian revolution of January 25: Can emerging international anti-corruption norms assist Egypt recover misappropriated public funds? Harvard International Law Journal, 52. https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/78202/1/Fadel%20-%20Public%20Corruption%20and%20Egyptian%20Revolution%20HILJ.pdf.
Fadel, M. (2011b). Public corruption and the Egyptian revolution of January 25: Can emerging international anti-corruption norms assist Egypt recover misappropriated public funds? Harvard International Law Journal Online, 52, 292–300.
Google Scholar
Finkel, A. (2000). Who guards the Turkish press? A perspective on press corruption in Turkey. Journal of International Affairs, 54(1), 147–166.
Google Scholar
Freeman, M., L’Heureux, C., Furleigh, D., & Pope, D. (2012). Insurgent and terrorist financing in Iraq. In M. Freeman (Ed.), Financing terrorism: Case studies (pp. 29–48). London: Routledge.
Google Scholar
Ghalwash, T. (2014). Corruption and economic growth: Evidence from Egypt. Modern Economy, 5(10), 1001–1009.
Article Google Scholar
Gillespie, K. (2006). The Middle East’s corruption conundrum. Current History, 1, 40–46.
Google Scholar
Green, P. (2005). Disaster by design: Corruption, construction and catastrophe. British Journal of Criminology, 45(4), 528–546.
Article Google Scholar
Grimaldi, J., & Harrow, R. (2011, October 19). In Egypt, corruption cases had an American root. Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/in-egypt-corruption-had-an-americanroot/2011/10/07/gIQAApWoyL_story.html.
Guerraoui, S. (2017, June 9). Corruption scandals grip Morocco as governments pledge to fight scourge. The Arab Weekly. https://thearabweekly.com/corruption-scandals-grip-morocco-governments-pledge-fight-scourge.
Guetat, I. (2006). The effects of corruption on growth performance of the MENA countries. Journal of Economics and Finance, 30(2), 208–221.
Article Google Scholar
Haber, S., & Menaldo, V. (2011). Do natural resources fuel authoritarianism? A reappraisal of the resource curse. American Political Science Review, 105(1), 1–26.
Article Google Scholar
Hadjadj, D. (2007). Algeria: A future hijacked by corruption. Mediterranean Politics, 12(2), 263–277.
Article Google Scholar
Hamida, Y., Mohammed, R., & Ahmed, M. (2018). How restrictive laws affect the framing of the issues of corruption in Sudan. International Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research, 37(2), 143–161.
Google Scholar
Henry, C., & Springborg, R. (2001). Globalization of development in the Middle East. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Book Google Scholar
Hertog, S. (2011). Princes, brokers, and bureaucrats: Oil and the state in Saudi Arabia. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Google Scholar
Hill, G., Salisbury, P., Northedge, L., & Kinninmont, J. (2013). Yemen: Corruption, capital flight and global drivers of conflict (A Chatham House Report). http://www.hiwar-watani.org/uploads/1/5/2/3/15238886/0913r_yemen.pdf.
Hirsch, A. (2010, December 17). WikiLeaks cables: Sudanese president ‘stashed $9bn in UK banks’. The Guardian. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/17/wikileaks-sudanese-president-cash-london.
Ismail, O. (2011). The failure of education in combating corruption in Sudan: The impact on sustainable development. OIDA International Journal of Sustainable Development, 2(11), 43–50.
Google Scholar
Kalayci, B., Esin, F., & Bayman, O. (2017). Analysis of the corruption perception in Turkey. Compliance and Ethics Professional August, 47–52.
Google Scholar
Kamba, I., & Sakdam, M. (2012). Reality assessment of the corruption in Libya and search for causes and cures. Journal of Business and Economics, 3(5), 357–368.
Google Scholar
Kayaoglu, A. (2017). Determinants of trust in Turkey. European Societies, 19(4), 492–516.
Article Google Scholar
King, N. (2017, November 8). In gilded Saudi royal circles, corruption has long been a way of life. Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-saudi-corruption-20171108-story.html.
Kirkpatrick, D. (2014, November 23). Graft hobbles Iraq’s military in fighting ISIS. New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/24/world/middleeast/graft-hobbles-iraqs-military-in-fighting-isis.html.
Kulish, N., & Kirkpatrick. D. (2017, November 7). In Saudi Arabia, where family and state are one, arrests may be selective. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/07/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-royal-family-corruption.html.
Le Billon, P. (2005). Corruption, reconstruction and oil governance in Iraq. Third World Quarterly, 26(4–5), 685–703.
Article Google Scholar
Leenders, R. (2012). Spoils of truce: Corruption and state-building in postwar Lebanon. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Book Google Scholar
Leenders, R., & Sfakianakis, J. (2002). Middle East and North Africa (Transparency International Annual Report). http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/APCITY/UNPAN008450.pdf.
Looney, R. (2005). Profiles of corruption in the Middle East. Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, 28(4), 1–20.
Google Scholar
Looney, R. (2008). Reconstruction and peacebuilding under extreme adversity: The problem of pervasive corruption in Iraq. International Peacekeeping, 15(3), 424–440.
Article Google Scholar
Martini, M. (2011). Corruption and anti-corruption in Sudan. http://www.transparency.org/files/content/corruptionqas/342_Corruption_and_anti-corruption_in_Sudan.pdf.
Mashali, B. (2012). Analyzing the relationship between perceived grand corruption and petty corruption in developing countries: Case study of Iran. International Review of Administrative Sciences, 78(4), 775–787.
Article Google Scholar
McFerson, H. (2009). Governance and hyper-corruption in resource-rich African countries. Third World Quarterly, 30(8), 1529–1547.
Article Google Scholar
Navot, D., & Cohen, N. (2014). How policy entrepreneurs reduce corruption in Israel. Governance, 28(1), 61–76.
Article Google Scholar
Omran, A., & Kerr, S. (2017, November 12). Saudi Arabia confronts legacy of corruption. Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/f5a9340e-c60f-11e7-a1d2-6786f39ef675.
Ozen, S., & Akkemik, A. (2012). Does illegitimate corporate behaviour follow the forms of polity? The Turkish experience. Journal of Management Studies, 3(49), 516–537.
Google Scholar
Patey, L. (2010). Crude days ahead? Oil and the resource curse in Sudan. African Affairs, 109(437), 617–636.
Article Google Scholar
Pellegrini, E., & Scandura, T. (2006). Leader–member exchange (LMX), paternalism, and delegation in the Turkish business culture: An empirical investigation. Journal of International Business Studies, 37, 264–279.
Article Google Scholar
Pena Lopez, J., & Sanchez Santos, J. (2014). Does corruption have social roots? The role of culture and social capital. Journal of Business Ethics, 122, 697–708.
Article Google Scholar
Pollack, K. (2006). Iran: Three alternative futures. Middle East Review of International Affairs, 10(2), 1–12. http://www.naba.org.uk/Content/news/Daily/MERIA/MERIA_60612.pdf.
Puddephatt, A. (2012). Corruption in Egypt. Global Partners and Associates. https://www.gp-digital.org/wp-content/uploads/pubs/Corruption-in-Egypt-Report-new-cover.pdf.
Ramady, M. (2015). The political economy of wasta: Use and abuse of social capital networking. Berlin: Springer.
Google Scholar
Rosner, S. (2017, January 12). Does Israel really have a corruption problem? New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/12/opinion/does-israel-really-have-a-corruption-problem.html?_r=0.
Ross, M. (2011). Will oil drown the Arab Spring? Foreign Affairs, 90(5), 2–7.
Google Scholar
Sadowski, Y. (1987). Patronage and the Ba’th: Corruption and control in contemporary Syria. Arab Studies Quarterly, 9(4), 442–461.
Google Scholar
Sassoon, J. (2016). Iraq’s political economy post 2003: From transition to corruption. International Journal of Contemporary Iraqi Studies, 10(1–2), 17–33.
Article Google Scholar
Sawaan, H. (2012). The corruption of political elites in Iraq—An economic analysis. Contemporary Arab Affairs, 5(1), 107–127.
Article Google Scholar
Sayan, S. (Ed.). (2009). Economic performance in the Middle East and North Africa. London: Routledge.
Google Scholar
Soliman, H., & Cable, S. (2011). Sinking under the weight of corruption: Neoliberal reform, political accountability and justice. Current Sociology, 59(6), 735–753.
Article Google Scholar
Soyaltin, D. (2017). Public sector reforms to fight corruption in Turkey: A case of failed Europeanization? Turkish Studies, 18(3), 1–20.
Article Google Scholar
Sudan Democracy First Group. (n.d.). Petty corruption stories from Sudan: Instances of corruption at the ground transportation port. http://www.democracyfirstgroup.org/petty-corruption-stories-from-sudan-instances-of-corruption-at-the-ground-transportation-port/.
Sutherland, E. (2015). Bribery and corruption in telecommunications—The Kingdom of Morocco. Info, 17(2), 16–35.
Article Google Scholar
Tekin-Coru, A. (2006). Corruption and the ownership composition of the multinational firm at the time of entry: Evidence from Turkey. Journal of Economics and Finance, 30(2), 251–269.
Article Google Scholar
The Guardian. (2010, December 6). WikiLeaks cables accuse Moroccan royals of corruption. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/06/wikileaks-cables-morocco-royals-corruption.
The Guardian. (2012, February 4). Mubarak family fortune could reach $70bn, says expert. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/feb/04/hosni-mubarak-family-fortune.
Transparency International. (2012). Corruption and anti-corruption in Sudan. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/57a08a58ed915d622c0006b1/expertanswer-342.pdf.
Volker, P. (2004). Syria under Bashar al-Asad: Modernisation and the limits of change. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Google Scholar
Werner, S. (1983). The development of political corruption: A case study of Israel. Political Studies, 31(4), 620–639.
Article Google Scholar
Whyte, D. (2007a). Hire an American! Economic tyranny and corruption in Iraq. Social Justice, 34(2), 153–168.
Google Scholar
Whyte, D. (2007b). The crimes of neo-liberal rule in occupied Iraq. British Journal of Criminology, 47(2), 177–195.
Article Google Scholar
Williams, P. (2009). Organized crime and corruption in Iraq. International Peacekeeping, 16(1), 115–135.
Article Google Scholar
Yamani, M. (2008). The two faces of Saudi Arabia. Survival, 50(1), 143–156. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00396330801899488?needAccess=true.
Article Google Scholar
Yılmaz, G., & Soyaltın, D. (2014). Zooming into the ‘domestic’ in Europeanization: Promotion of fight against corruption and minority rights in Turkey. Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies, 16(1), 11–29.
Article Google Scholar
Yingling, M., & Arafa, M. (2013–2014). After the revolution: Egypt’s changing forms of corruption. Journal of International Law, 2: Article 3. https://scholarworks.law.ubalt.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://scholar.google.com/scholar?start=60&q=egypt+corruption&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5&httpsredir=1&article=1013&context=ubjil.
Google Scholar
Zelekha, Y., & Bar-Efrat, O. (2011). Crime, terror and corruption and their effect on private investment in Israel. Open Economies Review, 22(4), 635–648.
Article Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
Barney Warf

Authors

Barney Warf
View author publications
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Barney Warf .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Warf, B. (2019). Spatiality of Corruption in the Middle East and North Africa. In: Global Corruption from a Geographic Perspective. GeoJournal Library, vol 125. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03478-8_4

Download citation

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03478-8_4
Published: 27 December 2018
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-03477-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-03478-8
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics