The Scientific Productivity of Arab Countries in the MENA Region: A Comparative Study with Three Non-Arab Countries

Objectives: In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the scientific productivity of middle and high-income Arab countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in the past 10 years and to compare this output with primary reports affiliated to three non-Arab countries of MENA region. Methods: We included primary reports that are indexed in PubMed or SCI-expanded and were conducted within the middle and high-income Arab countries of the MENA region. The retrieved records were compared to primary reports conducted within the following non-Arab countries of the MENA region: Iran, Israel, and Turkey. The online search was limited between 1st January 2008 and 31st December 2017. The statistical analysis was carried out with SPSS software version 24. Results: Egypt was the leading Arab country in the number of published original articles that was indexed in PubMed (N =1941) and SCI-expanded (N =745), followed by Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and United Arab of Emirates. In total, the number of PubMed or SCI-indexed original articles, conducted within non-Arab MENA countries, was higher than those conducted within Arab countries, the difference between both groups was statistically significant (p =0.008). In total, the Arab countries had a statistically significant lower number of registered clinical trials compared to non-Arab countries of the MENA region (3150 vs. 8139 records, respectively; p= 0.012). Conclusions: In conclusion, the past decade showed a prominent increase in the scientific productivity and performance of middle and high-income Arab countries; however, their scientific productivity is still lower than other countries in MENA region.