The work analyses the ties of key trends of economic development of the North African countries with modernization and globalization processes. The state of national economies, progress and results of market reforms define the course, opportunities and limits of modernization processes in social and political life of the North African countries. The crisis that developed in the North African countries at the turn of decades had complex nature which points directly at relevant demand in progressive reforming of key social areas. Nearly all countries of North Africa in the short and medium-term perspective will feel the consequences of relatively low or modest growth rates of the periods of the political upheavals of 2010s. The unfinished political modernization keeps inhibiting various processes of economic upgrade. First of all this inhibition affects forming of sustainable foundations for the modern market economy – creative businessmen of large, medium and small scale, sustainable independent court procedures in economics which would conform both to the international law and the conventional practices of governing the investment law. Closer analysis of industrial structure of each North African country reveals that in the next five years the leading role in development of the North African region will belong to tourism, trade of goods and service (including telecom, computer and media services), as well as to production and processing of hydrocarbons. The state supports the most perspective fields, by upgrading investment legislation, promoting dynamic formation of profile companies and firms using both domestic and foreign capital.