Corporate Governance in Arab Countries

English:
In today´s business world corporate governance has become one of the
most discussed and most important matters. Corporate governance
criteria have been put right in the middle of investment decisions -
especially in emerging markets. In addition to that, a series of events like
business scandals, financial crises or business failures in the last 20 years
has made corporate governance a key point in the business community in
emerging markets, developing countries and economies in transition.
There exists no general definition for the term corporate governance.
Basically it can be viewed as a set of principles and rules by which a
company is directed and controlled. Many countries have developed good
corporate governance principles to improve the relationship between the
shareholders of a company and the management. Factors like financial
disclosure, more rights for shareholders and independent boards are
crucial for investors who are looking for a stable growth of companies.
Countries in the MENA region have put the implementation of such sound
corporate governance codes in the middle of their agenda. Their aim is to
create better economies and consequently a more attractive investment
climate for possible investors in the future.
This thesis tries to give the reader an insight into today´s state of
corporate governance in the Middle East and North Africa countries. The
discussion is based on a survey which has been undertaken by the
Hawkamah Institute for corporate governance in Dubai which focuses on
the establishment of good corporate governance codes in this region.