Development Geopolitics and State Corporatism: A Comparative Study of Cases in the Arab Region

This study analyzes the causal relationship of the geopolitical and natural geography aspects and state corporatism in determining the levels of human development inside the Arab region. By applying the qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) approach to seven cases (Algeria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Libya), the results reveal two causal paths for high development: the first track combines oil production and strategic location (Algeria, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt), and the second track depen ds on the abundance of oil and the strategic location even with weak corporatism (Libya). The results show the "desert development paradox," where countries with harsh environmental conditions have achieved higher development indicators when oil is availab le and strategically located. Armed conflict is a condition that is contrary to all multiple causal paths, eliminating any geopolitical or institutional advantages. The study emphasizes the importance of state corporatism in transforming geographical and g eopolitical features into human development, and these findings remain relevant to the Arab regional context, the results of which can be enhanced by a study of larger samples .