As part of efforts to promote democratic institutions, free markets, better investment climates and a vibrant private sector, CIPE supports corporate governance projects throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Working with local partners in each country, CIPE supports indigenous efforts to lay the foundations for corporate governance best practices. CIPE and the Egyptian Ministry of Finance partnered to create the Arabic term for corporate governance, hawkamat ash-sharikat, allowing corporate governance to be part of business dialogue in the Middle East for the first time.

New Initiatives

Despite institutional and cultural differences, countries in the MENA region are poised to move forward in establishing a framework for good corporate governance. In late 2007, CIPE launched a two-year regional corporate governance program with the support of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) of the U.S. Department of State. Recent highlights include:

• In Bahrain, CIPE is partnering with the Bahrain Accountants Association (BAA) to assist the Corporate Governance Steering Committee in finalizing a corporate governance code and practices. The code is in the consultative process and will be issued in 2009.
  
  
• In Tunisia, CIPE and its partner L’Institute Arab de Chefs des Enterprises (IACE) produced a manual of best practices and guidelines for corporate governance, published in June 2008, and are now working to establish an Institute of Corporate Governance.
  
  
• In Yemen, CIPE and its partner theYemen Businessmen’s Club (YBC) established a CG Task Force in March 2008 with representation from the public and private sector. The task force is currently working to evaluate the current legal and regulatory framework in order to draft corporate governance guidelines.

Corporate Governance Trends

• Number 12, Spring 2008 (English, Arabic)

• Number 11, Summer 2007(English, Arabic)

• Number 10, Summer 2006 in (English, Arabic)

• Number 9, Fall 2005 (English)

• Number 8, Summer 2005 in (English)

• Number 7, Spring 2005 in (English)
  

For more information in Arabic, visit our partner website www.hawkama.net

Ken Rushton, a member of the Global Corporate Governance Forum Private Sector Advisory Group gives keynote remarks at the launch of Bahrain's draft corporate governance code.

Corporate Governance Trends Current Issue

• Number 13, Summer 2008 (English, Arabic)

Resources and Programs

• Why Corporate Governance is Important (English, Arabic)
• OECD Principles of Corporate Governance (Arabic)
• Highlights from CIPE's work on Corporate Governance in the MENA region

Click on a country below for more information