A. V. Akimov's article, of course, attracts attention and interests both by the scale of the statement of actual problems, and by a certain system of proofs of its approach to their possible solution. One can't help but recall the approach of the famous Russian sociologist and historian M. M. Kovalevsky, who at the end of the XIX century opposed historical and economic monism, arguing that the development of society cannot be determined based on taking into account one factor. At the same time, he was inclined to demographic determinism, believing that after all, "the main factor in all changes in the economic system is nothing more than population growth." The article shows a comprehensive, balanced approach to the analysis of current trends in global development, but of course the author highlights those that are now the most significant and important. The very breadth of the problem statement in terms of time and space encourages the reader to understand them in a broader context, at least in this case and on the material of the Middle East countries. Thus, for most Arab countries, the restructuring of the world economy that began in 2008 - 2009 opens up considerable opportunities, but also conceals considerable threats. Strengthening the Arab world's resource capabilities, both demographic and otherwise (energy, various minerals), is likely to encourage it to become more active in the world for the rational use of its existing potential. And in this case, we should re-evaluate the correlation of civilizational and formational dimensions of the development of Arab society. It is difficult to talk about civilization without taking into account the formation state of a particular society. The economic system of the Arab countries, i.e., the capitalist system with elements of the pre-capitalist one, was formed and developed in the absence of expansion (which was characteristic of the countries of the primary and secondary models of capitalist development). Its natur ... Read more