The Union of Arab Banks and the Banks Association of Turkey hosted the fifth Arab-Turkish Economic Dialogue in Istanbul on March 5-6. The conference addressed the expectations of the Middle East and North Africa with regard to the G-20 summit that Turkey will host in November 2015. More than a hundred experts and researchers from the region, including a representative from Al-Monitor, participated in the conference and discussed, as an organizer described to Al-Monitor: How can we include this region on the agenda of the G-20 major economies?
Despite the Middle East and North Africa's geographic proximity, the region's countries do not comprise a unified area of economic exchange, thus presenting an obstacle, according to conference attendees. Only 10% of trade in Arab countries is conducted with other Arab countries, while 90% of trade is conducted outside the Middle East and North Africa.
