Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Economics and Political Science - Department of Economics

This thesis investigated the dynamic impacts of financial development on economic growth based on a panel data set comprised of 15 MENA countries over the period 1990-2015. The thesis used four indicators of financial development, two indicators for the banking sector development, which are, financial depth (LLY), to measure the size of the financial intermediaries and the ratio of deposit money banks{u2019} domestic assets to the sum of domestic assets in deposit money banks and the central bank (BANK), to measure the relative importance of deposit money banks versus the central bank, with regard to the allocation of savings. On the other hand, two indicators of the stock market development are used, which are, the stock market capitalization to GDP ratio (SIZE), to measure the size of the stock market and the turnover ratio (TOV), to measure the stock market liquidity. While the economic growth indicator was measured by the natural Logarithm of the real GDP per capita (LRGDP). The thesis adopts a Pooled Mean Group Model (PMG) of Pesaran, Shin and Smith (1999). Several important results were found. First, there exists a long-run equilibrium relationship among financial development and economic growth in the investigated countries. Second, the two indicators of the banking sector development and the stock market liquidity indicator (TOV), all have a positive long-run effects on economic growth, while, the stock market capitalization indicator (SIZE) has no long-run effect on the economic growth. Finally, in the short-run, all financial development indicators don{u2019}t have any impact on economic growth. These results implies that financial development leads to a long-run economic growth, which recommended that, financial development is indeed a long-run policy

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