MENASource brings you up-close to a region at the epicenter of geo-political headlines. It is the Atlantic Council’s hub for in-depth commentary about breaking news, key topics, and trends from our team of experts on the Middle East and North Africa.

The views expressed in MENASource are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the views of the Atlantic Council, its staff, or its supporters.

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A Crash Course in Iraq’s Electoral Politics

MENASource
Dec 16, 2025

What will 2026 bring for the Middle East and North Africa?

As 2025 comes to a close, our senior analysts unpack the most prominent trends and topics they are tracking for the new year.

Read More

A Crash Course in Iraq’s Electoral Politics

MENASource
Dec 7, 2025

One year after Assad’s fall, here’s what’s needed to advance justice for Syrians

By
Elise Baker and Ahmad Helmi

The second year of a post-Assad Syria requires structural reform, victim-centered leadership, and international reinforcement.

Democratic Transitions
International Norms

A Crash Course in Iraq’s Electoral Politics

MENASource
Nov 20, 2025

Saudi Arabia’s next horizon: Building human capital beyond Vision 2030

By
Khalid Azim

Riyadh still needs to take fully support small and medium-sized enterprises—the true engines of job creation.

Economy & Business
Middle East

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Content

MENASource

Apr 21, 2014

A Crash Course in Iraq’s Electoral Politics

By Adam Simpson

On April 30, Iraq will hold parliamentary elections featuring a total of 9,040 candidates from 142 parties, including forty-one blocs and coalitions, all competing for just 328 parliamentary seats. The result of the 2010 parliamentary elections carried Iyad Allawi’s Iraqiya bloc to a narrow electoral victory, but was eventually defeated by a coalition of majority-Shia […]

Iraq

MENASource

Apr 18, 2014

Sisi, Sabbahi, and the Future of Egypt’s Economy

By Daniel Stoker

At the end of March, Egypt’s high electoral commission  announced the dates of Egypt’s presidential elections. As expected former Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced his candidacy joining long time activist Hamdeen Sabbahi in the race for the presidency. The success of Egypt’s next president will, for the most part, depend on how he addresses […]

Elections
North Africa

MENASource

Apr 18, 2014

Top News: Sabbahi Completes Signature Collection with 30,000 Endorsements

By EgyptSource

Presidential hopeful Hamdeen Sabbahi has garnered 30,000 signatures of support for his candidacy from eighteen governorates across the country, his campaign announced on Thursday.

MENASource

Apr 18, 2014

Top News: Gulf States Come to Consensus After Rift

By MENASource

Members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) brokered a consensus Thursday after a rift that saw Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain withdraw their ambassadors from Qatar. According to a statement from the GCC, “[Participants] agreed to adopt measures that ensure working at a group level and that policies of any individual state […]

MENASource

Apr 18, 2014

EconSource: Libya plans ‘smart cards’ to cut fuel subsidies that boost smuggling

By EconSource

Follow the latest in economic news and developments about the Arab transition countries.

MENASource

Apr 18, 2014

Preventing and Fighting Genocide in Syria

By Frederic C. Hof

Overall, however, it is both fair and profoundly unsatisfying to admit that our successes have been partial and the crimes against humanity that persist are devastating.

Syria

MENASource

Apr 18, 2014

The Jordan-Morocco Solution for GCC Defense Masks Bigger Issues

By Richard LeBaron

The US-based publication Defense News confidently reported on April 14 that the “GCC Seeks to Form Military Bloc with Jordan, Morocco.” The story relied on an unnamed Jordanian who advised that the invitation was tendered in late March.

International Organizations
Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

Apr 17, 2014

The Road to Presidential Elections [Update 3]

By EgyptSource

With voting in Egypt’s second presidential elections in two years expected to take place on May 26 and 27, EgyptSource will be providing periodic updates on the latest news coming out of the Egyptian elections process.

Elections
North Africa

MENASource

Apr 17, 2014

Top News: Egypt Officials Discuss Prisons; Commission Denies Islamist Allegations of Torture

By EgyptSource

Interim President Adly Mansour met Wednesday with members of the National Council for Human Rights together with interior ministry representatives to discuss the state of prisons in Egypt.

MENASource

Apr 17, 2014

Top News: Algerians Head to Polls Amid Fears of Election Fraud

By MENASource

Algerian voters are heading to the polls today, April 17, to vote in a presidential election overshadowed by accusations of fraud and calls for the ruling regime to step down. Incumbent President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is seeking an unprecedented fourth term amid widespread worries about his health, and following allegations that the results of the previous […]

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