Issue (47) of the Arab Economic Bulletin is issued for the third quarter of 2020, including a group of five selected studies, including three studies aimed at following up the economic and social developments arising from the "Covid-19" pandemic and the challenges and opportunities it entails, the remaining studies deal with the fields of networking Arab manufacturing industries based on supply chains, and the role of entrepreneurship as a basic mechanism for economic development.

The first study, entitled "Small and Medium Enterprises in the Arab World and Methods of Protection in the Light of COVID-19," deals with the situation of small and medium enterprises in the Arab world, and the economic effects of the "Covid-19" pandemic at the global and Arab levels, and the repercussions of the crisis on the future of these institutions, and reviews the initiatives and measures taken to support them. The study identifies the policies and mechanisms that must be applied to reduce the repercussions through the applications of the participatory economy and the integration of supply chains, and identifies the responsibilities of the various parties to draw a promising roadmap for the future.

The second study, entitled "Prospects for Strengthening Partnerships between the Public and Private Sectors in the Arab World", looks at this topic in the context of the critical developments currently taking place as a result of the economic and social repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic and the importance of public-private partnerships in this field. The study believes that there is a need to reformulate this relationship, in light of the importance of technology, informatics, digitization and its applications, and the role of the private sector in containing the repercussions of the virus, in addition to the role of the private health sector in supporting government efforts, and of course the role of partnership in overcoming the economic difficulties of the stage and reviving again.

The third study, entitled "The Role of Industrial Supply Chains in Raising Productive Efficiency and the Competitiveness of Arab Economies," reviews the mechanisms of linking and networking manufacturing industries based on a new concept within the framework of the international division of labor, which is supply chains, to raise the rate of productivity and enhance the competitiveness of existing or under construction industries, by reducing production costs and benefiting from all human, financial and natural resources in the Arab world. Cooperation has become based on maximizing added value, and alliances between companies have become more widespread and more networked than alliances between countries.

The fourth study deals with the various aspects related to "the role of entrepreneurship as a mechanism for economic growth in the Arab countries", as it became very necessary to invest in creating a new breed of innovative entrepreneurs and investors, because of their important role in economic growth and sustainable development thanks to their willingness to embrace new economic sectors, such as artificial intelligence, sharing economy, digitization and others.

The fifth study, entitled "The Digital Economy & COVID-19 Resilient & Thriving", analyzes the positive repercussions of the Corona pandemic on e-commerce and the change in markets and demand for products, as well as the negative repercussions that have had its consequences on the sharing economy. The study sheds light on the main role of digitization and distance learning in shaping future job opportunities, and on the areas that should be focused on to overcome difficulties and build on the opportunities available to move forward to safety.

In view of the current circumstances, we have opted since the beginning of this year to issue this bulletin electronically and make it available free of charge on the website of the Union of Arab Chambers on the Internet for the business community, researchers and those interested in Arab economic and social affairs.

We hope that this issue will receive the attention it deserves, and we wish everyone health, wellness and safety.