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Economic Freedom and Foreign Direct Investment: How different are the MENA countries from the EU?

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  • José Martins Caetano

    (Department of Economics, University of Évora)

  • António Bento Caleiro

    (Department of Economics, University of Évora)

Abstract

The risk perceived by investors is crucial in the decision to invest, in particular when it concerns a foreign country. The investment risk associated is a multi-faceted element given that it reflects many aspects that are relevant to (foreign) investors, such as the level of transparency, corruption, rule of law, governance, etc. In this paper we consider the level of economic freedom, as provided by the ?Heritage Foundation?, for the most recent years, in order to analyse how is this measure of risk related to the inward foreign direct investment performance index, as provided by the UNCTAD. Given the subjectivity of risk an appropriate methodology consists on using fuzzy logic clustering, which is applied in the paper in order to verify how different the MENA region is from the set of EU-member states. The results show that economic freedom and inward FDI are positively associated, in particular in the cluster of countries that present a higher economic freedom. Of particular interest is the result that some MENA countries belong to the same cluster of most of the EU-countries.

Suggested Citation

  • José Martins Caetano & António Bento Caleiro, 2009. "Economic Freedom and Foreign Direct Investment: How different are the MENA countries from the EU?," Economics Working Papers 02_2009, University of Évora, Department of Economics (Portugal).
    • Handle: RePEc:evo:wpecon:02_2009
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Suborna Barua & Junnatun Naym & Hazera-Tun-Nessa, 2017. "Economic Climate, Infrastructure and FDI: Global Evidence with New Dimensions," International Journal of Business and Economics, School of Management Development, Feng Chia University, Taichung, Taiwan, vol. 16(1), pages 31-48, June.
    2. Gheorghe Savoiu & Simina Brostescu, 2017. "Three International Statistical Indicators And Their Factorial Impact On The Modelling Of Foreign Investments In Romania," Romanian Statistical Review Supplement, Romanian Statistical Review, vol. 65(8), pages 174-188, August.
    3. Dimitra Mitsi & Constantina Kottaridi, 2022. "Fiscal and non-fiscal institutional context effects and foreign direct investment: empirical evidence in developing countries," SPOUDAI Journal of Economics and Business, SPOUDAI Journal of Economics and Business, University of Piraeus, vol. 72(1-2), pages 11-33, January-J.
    4. Turan Subasat & Sotiris Bellos, 2011. "Economic Freedom and Foreign Direct Investment in Latin America: A Panel Gravity Model Approach," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 31(3), pages 2053-2065.
    5. Xu, Tao, 2019. "Economic freedom and bilateral direct investment," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 172-179.
    6. Adriana Burlea‐Schiopoiu & Simina Brostescu & Liviu Popescu, 2023. "The impact of foreign direct investment on the economic development of emerging countries of the European Union," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(2), pages 2148-2177, April.
    7. Singh Devesh & Gal Zoltán, 2020. "Economic Freedom and its Impact on Foreign Direct Investment: Global Overview," Review of Economic Perspectives, Sciendo, vol. 20(1), pages 73-90, March.
    8. Shihai Wu & Yili Zhang & Jianzhong Yan, 2022. "Comprehensive Assessment of Geopolitical Risk in the Himalayan Region Based on the Grid Scale," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-20, August.
    9. Grădinaru Cătălin & Toma Sorin-George, 2017. "The Relationship between Doing Business and Economic Freedom around the World in the Period 2014-2016," Ovidius University Annals, Economic Sciences Series, Ovidius University of Constantza, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 0(1), pages 41-45, June.
    10. Brinda Sooreea-Bheemul & Uzma Shataz Rasool & Rajeev Sooreea, 2020. "Does Economic Freedom Matter to Foreign Direct Investment in Sub-Saharan Africa?," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 10(3), pages 195-207.
    11. Oktay KIZILKAYA & Ahmet AY & Gökhan AKAR, 2016. "Dynamic relationship among foreign direct investments, human capital, economic freedom and economic growth: Evidence from panel cointegration and panel causality analysis," Theoretical and Applied Economics, Asociatia Generala a Economistilor din Romania - AGER, vol. 0(3(608), A), pages 127-140, Autumn.
    12. Kottaridi, Constantina & Giakoulas, Dimitris & Manolopoulos, Dimitris, 2019. "Escapism FDI from developed economies: The role of regulatory context and corporate taxation," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 36-47.
    13. Alina Taran & Marilena Mironiuc & Maria-Carmen Huian, 2016. "Examining The Influence Of Some Macroeconomic Factors On Foreign Direct Investments," Review of Economic and Business Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, issue 18, pages 159-182, December.
    14. Bakari, Sayef & Benzid, Lamia, 2021. "Modeling the Impact of Corruption, Degree of Freedom to Invest and Democracy on Domestic Investment: Evidence from MENA Countries," MPRA Paper 108385, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Economic Freedom; European Union (EU) countries; Foreign Direct Investment; Fuzzy Clustering; Institutions; Middle East North Africa (MENA) countries;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C49 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Other
    • E22 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Investment; Capital; Intangible Capital; Capacity
    • F21 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements

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