The thesis studies the directions, trends, and prospects of trade among the Middle Eastern Arab countries between the years 1990 and 2004. For analytical purposes the Arab region is divided into three sub-regions: the Levant states, the gulf Cooperation Council states, and North African Arab states. Improving economic performance in the Arab countries is seen, at the moment, more critical than ever, since the region faces high population growth rates, rising unemployment, and modest economic growth coupled with increasingly intense competition from emerging markets in Europe, America, and asia. ...