The Impact of Governance Quality on Improving Innovative Activities in Selected MENA Countries

Moving towards a knowledge-based economy is an important factor for developing countries. Achieving this goal requires improving different pillars such as innovation. Governance quality is a key factor to create innovation pillars and improve innovative activities. In this paper, we describe the impact of governance quality on improving innovation in selected MENA countries during 2009-2018. We used an empirical model and panel data method to describe the relationship between governance quality and innovative activities by considering control variables such as inflation, domestic credit provided by the financial sector (%GDP), the net inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI), and trade (%GDP). Empirical results indicate that the governance quality has a positive and significant effect on the performance of innovation in MENA countries. The positive effect of the governance quality sub-indices indicates that an improving institutional environment is necessary to stimulate innovation activities. The results also show that trade in MENA a country not only harms but also discourages innovative activities. According to empirical results, we propose that improving governance quality concentrated on government effectiveness and control of corruption is essential for innovative activities in MENA countries.