Advancing Stability and Opportunity in the Middle East and North Africa
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Seasons of light: Ramadan through ancient travellers’ eyes
From Mecca and Damascus to Cairo, travellers across the centuries recorded the rhythms of Ramadan, documenting lantern-lit mosques, night prayers,…
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Iran, Mojtaba and the future of the Islamic Republic
Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment as Iran’s new Supreme Leader marks the most consequential political transition in the Islamic Republic in more…
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MBS, Guardian of Holy Places, Master of the Unholy Game
How the House of Saud weaponized Islam, at home and abroad, while its elite played by entirely different rules
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Iran’s coming reckoning: Regime collapse is likely — democracy is not
In an ideal world, democratic forces inside Iran and supporters outside the country would work in close coordination: internal actors…
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Ankara’s double win: Kurds, Israel, and the new Syria
From Ankara’s perspective, once the SDF issue is settled, a division of influence in Syria — Israel in the south,…
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Geopolitical miscalculations: The case against Russia’s presence in Syria
Equally important, the EU must maintain a firm stance on the necessity of adhering to the promised inclusive transition process,…
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Food Security in a Changing Climate: Sudan’s Crisis and the Broader MENA Struggle
Sudan now sits at the center of one of the most severe food security crises in the Middle East and…
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Trade Corridors and Economic Partnerships in the Horn of Africa: Ethiopia and Djibouti at the Centre of Regional Integration
The Horn of Africa is entering a period of renewed focus on regional connectivity and economic cooperation. For decades, trade…
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Yemen’s Economic Collapse: Currency Crisis, Shrinking Aid and Deepening Fragmentation
For now, the prospects for a negotiated settlement remained uncertain. The frontlines had been largely frozen since the 2022 ceasefire,…
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Tunisia’s Economic Tightrope: Domestic Borrowing, Stalled Reform and Growing Fragility
For Tunisia, the central challenge heading into 2026 remained generating sustainable growth while managing a heavy debt burden and limited…
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Economic Pressures and the Stability Equation Across MENA
The World Bank’s April 2025 economic update focused specifically on the weakness of MENA’s private sector as a constraint on…
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Yemen at the Ten-Year Mark: Economic Collapse, Humanitarian Crisis and Diminishing Prospects for Peace
Ten years after the Saudi-led coalition intervened to restore the internationally recognised government, Yemen remains fractured, impoverished and caught between…
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Saudi Arabia’s Diversification Gamble: Progress, Pressures and the Road to 2030
Saudi Arabia has spent the better part of a decade attempting to reshape the fundamental structure of its economy. Under…