The economic and financial development are examined in Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, representing the Middle East and North Africa region. Lengthy bureaucratic procedures, unclear regulations, corruption, and heavy reliance on oil exports pose major obstacles to economic development and integration into global markets. These controlled economies directly affect foreign and domestic investments that are measured by five factors: Starting a Business, Hiring and Firing Workers, Enforcing Contracts, Getting Credit, and Closing a Business. This paper demonstrates that improvements in the standard of living will only be attained with fiscal and political reforms.