Arab Mediterranean Megaprojects after the 'Spring': Business as Usual or a New Beginning?

In the Mediterranean Arab world, several urban and tourist 'megaprojects' have been launched from the 1980s onwards. This new urbanism, imported mainly from the Gulf countries, has profoundly transformed the urban fabric of the Arab cities, favouring the development of privately developed and exclusive urban products, and fuelling new forms of rents and capitalist entities. Examining the recent history of the production of megaprojects in the region, the article provides a critical assessment of the achievements in spatial terms as well as the modes of production and social content. It shows that the 'Arab Spring' might have contributed to a closer scrutiny as to the social and urban acceptability of the megaprojects in some Arab countries, as well as increasing the interest of donors in urban projects. Also, the 'Spring' combined with the economic crisis contributed to a decrease in the number of projects to be implemented. However, the authors indicate that there is no major shift away from the megaproject approach.