Heavy weight Arab investors are preparing to launch, collectively, an investment initiative on January 19, at the Arab Economic Forum. According to influential Arab investors, the initiative might lead to the creation of the Arab Common Market, first proposed more than five decades ago. This market has not come into existence for many reasons, mostly associated with inter-Arab political differences. Filled with optimism over the new Arab Investment Initiative, Egypt's Minister of Trade and Industry says that the idea has been encouraged by the increase in inter-Arab investments from $2 billion to $20 billion in the past decade. One of Egypt's biggest investors, Naguib Sawiris, is no less optimistic than Minister Rashid Mohamed Rashid over the creation of the Arab Common Market. Sawiris told the press that his Arab counterparts would prove wrong Arab politicians and governments, who have disappointed their nations by failing to follow the example of EU member states and create this market. Sawiris indicated that Arab investors would, unlike their governments and politicians, eliminate the obstacles, hindering the realisation of the great Arab economic dream. But Egypt's wealthy investor must be aware that, unless Arab governments are willing to positively and sincerely co-operate, Arab investors' ambitions will only be ink on paper. This is because Arab governments' political tendencies and differences will prevent the implementation of laws and regulations, indispensable to the creation of an Arab economic power. In the Arab world, politics and economics are inextricably intertwined. In the past, inter-Arab political differences have often frustrated Arab summits' bids to adopt unanimous resolutions on issues that are more strategic than economic unity.
