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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US Mission to Saudi Arabia announces new women’s entrepreneurship program in partnership with Atlantic Council, AmCham Saudi Arabia, and Quantum Leaps

MENASource Jan 14, 2026

Voices from Iran: As rejection of government reaches all-time high, Iranians also wary of foreign intervention

If Trump is serious about peace, stability, and a lasting legacy, the path forward does not run through air strikes or transactional deals with a failing theocracy.

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US Mission to Saudi Arabia announces new women’s entrepreneurship program in partnership with Atlantic Council, AmCham Saudi Arabia, and Quantum Leaps

MENASource Jan 13, 2026

Eight questions (and expert answers) on the SDF’s withdrawal from Syria’s Aleppo

By Atlantic Council experts

Our experts unpack why violence erupted, what it means for Kurdish safety and integration in Syria, and how Washington is engaging.
Civil Society Conflict
US Mission to Saudi Arabia announces new women’s entrepreneurship program in partnership with Atlantic Council, AmCham Saudi Arabia, and Quantum Leaps

MENASource Jan 12, 2026

The Venezuela-Iran connection and what Maduro’s capture means for Tehran, explained 

By Joze Pelayo, Kirsten Fontenrose, Ellie Sennett 

Our experts break down Iran’s ties to Venezuela and the impact Maduro’s capture could have on Tehran’s interests in and outside of its own borders. 
Iran Oil and Gas

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MENASource

Apr 5, 2021

US Mission to Saudi Arabia announces new women’s entrepreneurship program in partnership with Atlantic Council, AmCham Saudi Arabia, and Quantum Leaps

By Allison Holle

On March 31, the Atlantic Council’s empowerME initiative hosted an event in partnership with the US Mission to Saudi Arabia, AmCham Saudi Arabia's Women in Business Committee, and Quantum Leaps to mark the launch of their new joint program: IGNITING Women's Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Saudi Arabia.

Civil Society
Education

MENASource

Apr 2, 2021

The end of Libya’s nightmare or the beginning of a new one?

By Karim Mezran and Tahani Elmogrbi

If badly managed, any of these challenges could turn fatal for Dbeiba’s government. It will take a lot of goodwill from the Libyan population and from the new elite of the country to allow space for compromise and acceptance of differences to ensure that the path is one of political dialogue and peaceful confrontation rather than one of armed conflict.

Libya
Middle East

MENASource

Apr 1, 2021

Mr. Wang goes to the Middle East

By Jonathan Fulton

This marks the first time that every GCC country has received a senior Chinese official in the same calendar year. China’s MENA footprint is only getting deeper.

China
Middle East

MENASource

Apr 1, 2021

The Sinjar agreement has good ideas, but is it a dead end?

By Hanar Marouf

The uncontrollable surge of powers in Sinjar may bring about the next political and humanitarian catastrophe for Iraq if not managed properly.

Iraq
Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

Mar 31, 2021

Family businesses in the Gulf must not be left behind

By Amjad Ahmad and Farida F. El Agamy

Research suggests that family-owned businesses contribute about 60 percent of the gross domestic product in the GCC countries and employ more than 80 percent of its labor force.

Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

Mar 30, 2021

Some advice to my Syrian and Syrian-American friends

By Frederic C. Hof

President Biden cannot do everything. Nor should he try. But what happens in Syria won’t stay there. It never has and never will. Still, advocates for an American policy in Syria focused on political transition must be sensitive, in their advocacy, to the policy priorities of an administration whose success would be vitally important to the US and the world.

Politics & Diplomacy
Syria

MENASource

Mar 25, 2021

‘It’s not a zero-sum game’: MENA officials agree that regional integration is key to growth

By Heba Malik

Atlantic Council’s empowerME initiative and the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies co-hosted an event that discussed strategies for building regional cooperation to create a more attractive investment landscape and productive entrepreneurial ecosystem. These are some key takeaways.

Economy & Business
Middle East

MENASource

Mar 24, 2021

Assad is testing Biden. The US president must not fail.

By Frederic C. Hof

Regardless of what the Biden administration may wish to think or acknowledge, it may well be sitting for an initial examination administered by Bashar al-Assad—the teacher of many harsh lessons to American presidents. Failing the test will not be consequence-free.

Middle East
Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

Mar 23, 2021

Weapons or food? Lebanon’s Armed Forces risk going hungry

By Nicholas Blanford

Prices of everyday goods have skyrocketed, businesses are shuttering, banks have slapped arbitrary capital controls on US dollar-denominated accounts, and the United Nations estimates that more than half of Lebanon’s population of six million live below the poverty line. Lebanon’s armed forces have been affected along with everybody else.

Middle East
Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

Mar 18, 2021

The real threat to modern Israel

By Dan Perry

The March 23 election could emerge as an inflection point because Haredi behavior during the coronavirus pandemic has underscored divisions, deepened mutual disdain, and convinced many Israelis things cannot continue as they are.

Israel
Middle East
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