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Smart Development: Saudi Arabia's Quest For A Knowledge Economy, Giulio M. Gallarotti, Isam Yahia Al Filali

Giulio M Gallarotti

Nations that have sought to overcome the resource curse and other barriers to economic growth have for some time sought greater development through a number of strategies: from import substitution in the 1950s to current strategies based on microfinance and human-capabilities approaches. Needless to say, the international community is still searching for the elusive Holy Grail of the optimal development strategy. One strategy that is gaining greater attention and adherents is that of promoting a transition to a knowledge economy. This paper is about one such nation: Saudi Arabia. In analyzing the Kingdom’s quest for a knowledge economy, this article …