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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The 2022 FIFA World Cup is less than a month away. Qatar’s supposed labor reforms have done little to improve worker’s conditions.

MENASource Dec 7, 2025

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

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

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The 2022 FIFA World Cup is less than a month away. Qatar’s supposed labor reforms have done little to improve worker’s conditions.

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
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is less than a month away. Qatar’s supposed labor reforms have done little to improve worker’s conditions.

MENASource Nov 10, 2025

The Nile at a crossroads: Navigating the GERD dispute as Egypt’s floodwaters rise

By Alessia Melcangi

The latest escalation between Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia coincides with a diplomatic shift from the United States.
Africa Climate Change & Climate Action

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Content

MENASource

Oct 25, 2022

The 2022 FIFA World Cup is less than a month away. Qatar’s supposed labor reforms have done little to improve worker’s conditions.

By Madeline Hart

The workers responsible for making this event happen continue to face death and abuse each day, while risking deportation if they protest.

Human Rights
Middle East

MENASource

Oct 24, 2022

Truce or no truce: Transitional justice is Yemen’s only path to healing

By Hooria Mashhour

Yemen will not reach peace without a peace process that is based on human rights, gender equality, and transitional justice.

Human Rights
Middle East

MENASource

Oct 18, 2022

The New Middle East is dismissing great power competition—for now 

By Jean-Loup Samaan

The more local actors grow confident about their own autonomy, the less tempted they will be to align themselves on the agenda of another external power.

Energy & Environment
Oil and Gas

MENASource

Oct 17, 2022

Italy recently elected a far-right leader. Here’s how the Arab world reacted to the news.

By Karim Mezran, Nour Dabboussi

Giorgia Meloni’s government should carefully consider how it handles its nationalistic discourse to avoid any Islamophobic controversies that could ultimately spark a blowback of condemnations from its allies in the Arab world.

Europe & Eurasia
Italy

MENASource

Oct 13, 2022

Egypt has made some progress on human rights and the environment in preparation for COP27. But there’s still more to be done.

By Shahira Amin

Skeptics are questioning Egypt's leadership of the climate talks, citing human rights concerns and unideal environmental policies.

Economy & Business
Energy & Environment

Issue Brief

Oct 12, 2022

Fulfilling the requirements: Israel’s entry into the US Visa Waiver Program

By Ruth Marks Eglash and Scott Lasensky

A little-discussed, yet far-reaching issue on the US-Israel bilateral agenda is Israel’s long-running quest to join the United States’ Visa Waiver Program (VWP). In his first year and a half in office, US President Joseph R. Biden Jr. has elevated the issue, and efforts to achieve Israel’s entry are gaining momentum after remaining stagnant during the Trump presidency.

Israel
Middle East

MENASource

Oct 4, 2022

Iran’s new demands to revive the nuclear deal are a sigh of relief for Israel. Here’s why.

By Amichai Stein

Israel knows very well that Iranian demands are impossible to meet.

Iran
Israel

Event Recap

Oct 3, 2022

New laws in Saudi Arabia support women in business, and society is catching up quickly

By Amira Attia

On September 28, the Atlantic Council’s empowerME initiative held a discussion on regulations and laws that impact women in business in Saudi Arabia.

Economy & Business
Financial Regulation

Event Recap

Sep 29, 2022

Two years since the Abraham Accords: How the region is transforming

By Yulia Shalomov, Mariah Smith

On September 8, the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs hosted a virtual eventon the second anniversary of the signing of the Abraham Accords between Israel and regional neighbors.

Economy & Business
Israel

Event Recap

Sep 28, 2022

Challenges in North Africa: New Pathways for International Diplomacy?

By Madeline Hart

On September 14, the Atlantic Council’s North Africa Program and the US Embassy in Italy hosted an event with experts on the field to discuss the potential for Italy to become a mediating power in the Mediterranean.

Middle East
North Africa
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