From Cold War to Regional Reconciliation: The New Pragmatism in the Middle East

By Albadr Alshateri /

The new pragmatism in the Middle East is leading to a regional reconciliation process that, though some critics doubt it, is showing signs that it can sustain itself in the near future.

The Changing Middle East Regional Order

By Paul Salem / Winter 2022

A history of the Arab state system starting from the second half of the twentieth century to the present

Managing Crises, the Least-Bad Option

By Joost Hiltermann / Winter 2022

Conflict management in the MENA region has little chance of succeeding as conflicts increasingly intersect and tensions driven by larger, regional triggers become even more unpredictable

Arab Nationalism, Regionalism, and Regional Integration

By Ibrahim Awad / Winter 2022

In the third decade of the 21st century, regionalism and regional integration in the Arab region stood in contrast with experiences in other regions of the world. Rather than facilitate integration, Arab nationalism seems to have in fact obstructed it

Syria: The Illusive Settlement

By Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy /

The best way to describe the current Syrian quandary is to borrow from Winston Churchill’s assessment of what he considered the complex nature of the former Soviet Union: popular grievances wrapped in regional rivalries inside big power competition.

Tunisia: Birth of The Citizen

By Youssef Cherif / June 7, 2021

Gains made in the wake of the Tunisian uprising and in the decade since cannot be fully qualified but, on the ground, it is clear that Tunisia has transformed itself.

The Rise of the United Arab Emirates

By Abdulkhaleq Abdulla / Spring 2021

By harnessing national confidence, proactively dealing with regional security concerns and exercising geopolitical cooperation, the UAE is positioning itself as a regional powerhouse.

The Arab World Between Regime Change and Political Reform

By Mustapha Kamel Al-Sayyid / Winter 2021

The American tendency to overthrow existing governments in sovereign states has been fuel and fodder for conspiracy theories of the last decade.

Explaining Egypt’s January 2011 Revolution between Conspiracy and Conventional Wisdom

By Mustapha Kamel Al-Sayyid / Winter 2021

Ten years on, conspiracy theories about the root causes of the 2011 Egyptian uprising still abound.

The United States and Egypt: Constant Interests Require Consistent Policies

By Frank G. Wisner /

The United States and Egypt have long standing common interests requiring both to pursue consistent and sustained policies.

Why the Phrase “Arab Spring” Should be Retired

By Sean David Hobbs / Winter 2021

It’s time to stop using a Western-based concept ten years on from the events that began the Arab Uprisings.

Learning from a Diplomatic Trailblazer to Tackle Global Inequalities

By Sean David Hobbs /

Guest speaker at the 16th Nadia Younes Memorial Lecture, Dutch Minister Sigrid Kaag, presented ideas for geopolitical challenges in the Middle East and North Africa during and after the coronavirus pandemic.

Re-Engineering Regional Security

By Sydney Wise / Summer 2020

In the last half-century, Egypt has had to negotiate its way through the Arab–Israeli peace process, regional nuclear proliferation, and domestic political transition. What has it taught us?

COVID-19 and Social Policies in the MENA Region

By Ghada Barsoum /

A new test to overly-stressed systems.

Women and Education in the Arab World

By Sean David Hobbs /

Malak Zaalouk, education expert, discusses the position of women and access to education in the Arab World with the Cairo Review’s Senior Editor Sean David Hobbs in a special podcast recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic lock-down.

A Surplus of Deficits

By Amr Adly / Spring 2020

From a political economy perspective, there are four key forces working against the peace and prosperity of Middle Eastern and North African states. To defeat them, robust institutions are essential.

An Alternative Approach to Regional Security in the Middle East

By Eman Ragab /

The Arab Spring is a decisive event that continues to reshape the geopolitics of the region, so why has no progress been made to create a security collective?

How Sudan Transitions

By Hamid Eltgani Ali / Winter 2020

Sudan’s path to democracy has been a rocky one, and there are several key players who need to ensure it never returns to an autocratic state

Hosni Mubarak: Passing of an Era, or Lingering Legacy?

By Tarek Osman / February 25, 2020

What Mubarak’s legacy reveals about changes in different generations’ relationship to state and society.

Libya’s Dangerous Political Stalemate

By Riccardo Redaelli / October 8, 2019

Until now, most of the external actors involved in Libya relied on a Cold-War “zero sum game theory”, based on the dichotomic vision amicus/hostis (friend/enemy) of classical realpolitik. It is time this changes.

In Syria, Reconstruction Brings Little Hope for Peace

By Jasmine El-Gamal / Summer 2019

While maintaining the status quo for the time being might seem the easiest option, it is also the worst possible one

Arab Spring Revisited

By Nabil Fahmy / Spring 2019

From Algeria to Sudan, the time for good governance is now

Erdoğan’s Failure on the Nile

By Soner Cagaptay / Spring 2019

How Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan went from being a regional Islamist leader in the Arab Spring to being the Middle East’s odd man out

Turkey’s Pan-Islamist Foreign Policy

By Birol Baskan / Spring 2019

Understanding Turkey’s diplomatic moves post-2011 by looking back to the Ottoman conception of ittihad-i Islam

A Different Kind of Rationality

By Maysam Behravesh / April 9, 2019

Iran continues its military presence in Syria even after the fight is won—a move which is underpinned by the Islamic Republic’s core deterrence and defense foreign policy against possible Israeli or US military action.

Syria and Regional Food Security

By Hadi Fathallah / March 16, 2019

Syria and its neighbors all have a vested interest in resuming agricultural trade to increase food security across the region.

Russia’s Eye on Syrian Reconstruction

By Samuel Ramani / March 7, 2019

Russia is primed to benefit economically from an influx of foreign investment in Syria, but an emerging rivalry with China and Iran for contracts could erode its long-term leverage.

Preserving Kurdish Autonomy

By Pinar Tank / February 15, 2019

Divisions among the states vested in Syria are opening possibilities for Syria’s Kurds to secure greater protection for their autonomy.

Civil Society for the Displaced

By Shaden Khallaf / January 29, 2019

To meet the challenges of massive human displacement in the Middle East and North Africa, civil society actors need a common platform where they can advocate. The MENA Civil Society Network for Displacement or CSND sets out to be that.

A New Beginning for Yemen?

By Karim Haggag / November 17, 2018

The strategic role of the United States—and others—in finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Yemen.

What Future for the EU’s Southern Neighbourhood Policy?

By James Moran / November 14, 2018

The upcoming EU-Arab summit could help in crafting a new regional relationship.

Europe: In Search of a Role

By Pierre Vimont / Fall 2018

The European Union’s foreign policy since the Arab Spring has fluctuated between outdated economic initiatives and political misreadings; instead the EU needs more internal unity and a better understanding of needs in the Arab World

Russia, Turkey, and the Fate of Idlib

By Ömer Özkizilcik / September 24, 2018

In Idlib, Turkey could deter Russian airstrikes and ensure the region remains out of the Syrian regime’s control by going after extremist groups.

A Long View of the Middle East

By Leslie Cohen and Sean David Hobbs / Summer 2018

Middle East historian James Gelvin speaks to Cairo Review editors Sean David Hobbs and Leslie Cohen about Middle Eastern current affairs, including where Syria is headed, and whether America’s moment in the Middle East has passed.

Tunisia: An Arab Anomaly?

By Elizabeth Lepro / Summer 2018

Can Tunisia serve as a model for Arab Spring countries?

Jordan at the Crossroads

By Alaa Elhadidi / July 7, 2018

Jordan’s economic, demographic and geographic characteristics have left the country vulnerable to mass protests and external pressure that can only be overcome by a comprehensive reform program.

Battling for Southwestern Syria

By Abdulrahman al-Masri / June 14, 2018

While Assad and his supporters seem close to reconquering Southwestern Syria, stability is far from assured.

Syria Podcast, Part 2

By Sean David Hobbs / May 27, 2018

Nader Hashemi, Middle East and Syria expert, speaks with the Cairo Review’s Senior Editor Sean David Hobbs.

Oriental Hall, etc.

By Roxanne Brook Vigil / Spring 2018

Happenings, speakers, and events at the American University in Cairo in Spring 2018.

Iranian Women, Work, and the Gender Regime

By Valentine M. Moghadam / Spring 2018

Iranian women advance their political agency even as their government imposes a neo-patriarchal economic and political system in the Islamic Republic.

The Long Struggle for Women’s Rights

By Odharnait Ansbro / Spring 2018

Following the Arab Spring, the fight for women’s sexual and social rights will be won in the Middle East and North Africa through progressive evolution, not revolution.

Are Egyptian Women Empowered?

By Laila El Baradei / Spring 2018

Seven years after the Egyptian uprising, what have Egyptian women achieved and what challenges have they faced? A lot still needs to be done before they gain more political and social power.

The Middle East According to Egypt

By Mohamed Kamal / Spring 2018

The Egyptian government is charting a role for itself as new and critical developments unfold in the region.

Egypt’s Shifting Foreign Policy Priorities

By Alaa Elhadidi / Spring 2018

How are Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s foreign policy priorities expected to change after his reelection?

The Truth about the Muslim Brotherhood

By Abdel Monem Said Aly / Spring 2018

For the better part of two decades, a debate has raged in American research and policy circles about whether the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is a moderate political force. A study of the Brotherhood’s political Islam and its linkage to present-day terrorism.