Shawkat Hammoudeh Drexel University   ,   hammousm@drexel.edu     Biographical Sketch: Shawkat Hammoudeh is a Palestinian American citizen with a PhD in Economics from University of Kansas, USA, in 1980. He also had post doctorate courses in Finance at Drexel University, USA, in 1989-1990. After Graduation from University of Kansas, he joined Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research as an Associate Research Scientist in 1981. His fields of specialization include OPEC oil pricing strategies, adjustments in commodity spreads, exchange rates and business cycles in the GCC bloc, stock markets in the GCC region and the MENA area and UC current account deficit. He has numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals and also serves as a referee for many journals. He is an associate editor of Global Review of Economics and Business Research and Brazilian Journal of Business Administration.   Primary Research Focus: Financial risk management; Emerging stock markets; Commodity markets   JEL Areas: O : Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth