Shifting Tides: Egypt’s Unexpected Path After the 1973 War

By Ali E. Hillal Dessouki / Fall 2023

What prompted Egypt to move from a socialist state to a capitalist one, from Israel’s adversary to its reluctant diplomatic partner, from being a country with a strong national identity to a deeply divided one? The answer is war

Analysis: Can BRICS+ Provide a Counterweight to the West?

By Helmo Preuss /

With the admission of six new countries, BRICS increases its economic power and global clout, possibly establishing its place as a challenger to the G7.

Ukraine’s Economic Shocks in Egypt

By Omar Auf / Fall 2022/Winter 2023

Political economist Amr Adly discusses the state of the Egyptian economy and others around the world, describing current vulnerabilities and emphasizing the need for climate justice

OPEC+ versus the United States and World Democracies

By Giacomo Luciani / Fall 2022/Winter 2023

The OPEC+ decision to cut oil production opens the door to further politicization of the global oil industry, particularly between the United States and Saudi Arabia

The Saudi-U.S. Nexus: BFFs No More?

By Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy /

Years of tension between Riyadh and Washington over key geopolitical issues have soured a once ironclad relationship.

The Nuclear Pyramid of the Islamic Republic

By Ali Fathollah-Nejad and Rahman Bouzari /

Iran has squandered billions on a nuclear program that has impoverished its people and hastened ecological disaster.

Will Lebanon and Israel Finally End their Maritime Border Dispute?

By Mohamed O. Abd El-Aziz /

Israel and Lebanon seem on the verge of a deal that is expected to settle their maritime border dispute, which could lead to securing their energy resources

A Palestinian Outlet to the World, A Path toward Peace? Considerations and Options for a Gaza Seaport

By Asaf Ashar and Joel Singer / Summer 2022

Between economic considerations, intra-Palestinian divisions, and Israeli security concerns, there are a number of challenges facing the building of a seaport in Gaza, or in its alternatives. Nevertheless, it may be an opportunity to establish a tri-state free trade zone, and, ultimately, peace.

Building a Seaport in Gaza: Prospects, Challenges, and Opportunities

By Omar Shaban / Summer 2022

A seaport in Gaza would not only be an important economic and developmental leap forward for Palestine, but also an expression of its unity and sovereignty. To achieve this, there are multiple options available, each with its own unique set of challenges and opportunitie.

A Decade of Enlightenment

By Nabil Fahmy / Winter 2022

Editorial

AlMostaqbal: Envisioning a Better Arab Future

/ Winter 2022

An excerpt from the American University in Cairo’s blue-ribbon report, “AlMostaqbal: Envisioning a Better Arab Future”.

Competing Economic Visions in the Gulf

By Robert Mogielnicki / Winter 2022

Economic visions offer regional governments roadmaps for development, but they can also serve as a tool for measurement and—ultimately—accountability

Young People Are Leading Climate Activism in the Middle East

By Neeshad Shafi / Fall 2021

Across the Arab World and the Middle East, young people are mobilizing to raise climate change awareness.

Egypt Navigates its Investment Future

By Ariana Bennett /

Foreign investment helps attract wealth to underdeveloped nations, but the arbitration rules are often agreed within a global paradigm steeped in colonialist history.

The Climate Crisis Needs a Global Green New Deal

By Ariana Bennett / Fall 2021

A Global Green New Deal would equitably prevent dangerous levels of warming, but it must be implemented soon.

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.

The Long Road to African Tourism Recovery

By Helmo Preuss / Summer 2021

The Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the tourism industry in 2020, but this year a slow vaccine rollout and new variants means it will take a while to recover to pre-pandemic levels.

A New Water Paradigm for Sub-Saharan Africa

By Djiby Thiam / Fall 2021 Summer 2021

To make clean water and sanitation truly accessible to local communities across the continent, African institutions must take the lead in understanding the specific challenges and opportunities they face.

Global vaccine equity is a moral and economic imperative—here is how to get it right

By Junaid Nabi /

With increasingly dangerous variants of the COVID-19 virus spreading across the Global South, vaccine equity is not only a moral imperative, but also key to keeping the global economy afloat.

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.

Doughnut Economics: Living in a Sustainable World

By Dania El Akkawi /

How humanity can transform from traditional growth-first economic policies to a 21st century vision centered around sustainable development.

State, Media, and Political Messaging in Contemporary Turkey

By Özge Özdüzen / Spring 2021

The AKP’s political messaging tactics have undergone significant change over time, but remain an important strategic tool for the party.

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.

Maintaining the U.S.-Saudi Relationship

By Hussein Ibish / Spring 2021

The once booming strategic alliance between Riyadh and Washington has weathered a number of regional storms but is beginning to show wear and tear.

The End of Corporate Janissaries in the Gulf

By Omar Al-Ubaydli / Spring 2021

Gulf family companies and businesses must learn to wean off the Kafala system that has created short-sighted dependency on elite migrant workers, much like the flawed Janissary model of governance.

The Long Road to Economic Transformation in the Gulf

By Nader Kabbani / Spring 2021

To successfully reinvent their economies, Gulf states must move past the deadweight of legacy policies and their adverse consequences.

Iran and the GCC: Prospects for a Grand Reconciliation

By Sharmine Narwani / Spring 2021

To realize shared priorities and fulfill the Persian Gulf’s potential as a global cornerstone for energy and trade, hardline Gulf states must acquiesce to waning U.S. hegemony and pursue reconciliation with Iran.

The UAE Art Scene: Challenges and Opportunities

By Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi / Spring 2021

Sustainability and longevity of a thriving cultural sector in the Gulf must be treated as a priority, which is why long-term planning is essential in order to ensure the ability of the art field to meet with both current and future challenges.

Summers of Strife: From Libya to Ethiopia

By Nabil Fahmy / Spring 2021

Ethiopia’s obstinance puts the region at a sensitive crossroads again

Shaping Africa’s New Normal

By Amina Abdel-Halim / April 28, 2021

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, African nations are working through the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development to set the continent back on track with its developmental Agenda 2063.

The Future of Work: Between Technology and Inequality

By Dania El Akkawi / Winter 2021

While the future is foggy in light of the pandemic, the importance of technology is real and certain, and the creation of new jobs will pave the way for new global work arrangements.

Can the Arab Region meet the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030?

By Mourad Wahba / Winter 2021

There are multiple challenges which need to be confronted in both data collection and public policy so that the SDGs can be attained.

Global Tourism Post COVID-19 and the Island Model

By Omar Auf /

A recovery in tourism, one of the hardest hit industries by the COVID-19 pandemic, is inevitably tied to health considerations. It also depends on governments’ willingness to move away from old models toward long-term sustainability.

A Visualization of Egypt’s Economic Performance During COVID-19

By Omar Auf / Winter 2021

In this infographic article, we illustrate Egypt’s economic performance, pandemic response, and future based on commentary from IMF economist Said Bakhache.

Africa and the United States: Reengaging with Africa’s Prosperity in Mind

By Carl Manlan / Winter 2021

With China as a dominant foreign power in Africa, the only option left for United States to engage with the continent is to follow its priorities: namely, prioritizing African youth.

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.

A Timeline of Arab Rapprochement

By Ibrahim Elzayat /

A blockade of Qatar is lifted after Arabs mend fences and resume diplomatic ties.

Empowering Women with Disabilities for Better Employment Opportunities

By Amina Abdel-Halim / December 16, 2020

The United Nations is working hand in hand with local organizations to provide greater economic prosperity to Egyptian women living with disabilities.

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.

South Africa after Covid-19: Recovery or Recession

By Helmo Preuss / Fall 2020

South Africa has had a plethora of economic plans, but most have not been implemented

Exposing Inequality, Accelerating Innovation: COVID-19 and the Digital Economy

By Omar Auf /

COVID-19 has highlighted the great promise borne by the digital economy, as well as the challenges standing in the way of reaping its full potential.

Enhancing Mediterranean Integration

By Blanca Moreno-Dodson / Summer 2020

Trade liberalization, human capital development, and sectoral reforms can bring Mediterranean countries closer together.

Receding Multilateralism and the Role of the Dollar in a COVID-19 World

/ Fall 2020

The shock of COVID-19 has plunged the world into an economic crisis, demonstrated the fragility of economic relations and supply chains, and led to a reevaluation of several concepts taken for granted.

Will the U.S. Evolve its Foreign Policy from Past Mistakes?

By Sean David Hobbs / Fall 2020

Former U.S. Ambassador and American University in Cairo President Francis Ricciardone evaluates how the United States has dealt with global crises in the 21st century.

Embracing Change: U.S. Foreign Policy Shifts

By Sean David Hobbs / Fall 2020

Former U.S. diplomat and American University in Cairo President Francis Ricciardone discusses whether a Biden win will see a return to a rules based international order.

Explaining How Washington and the Election Works

By Sean David Hobbs / Fall 2020

In 2016, all predictions about the U.S. elections were wrong. Will Washington insiders get it right this time?

Resisting the Tide of Bigotry

By Jonathan Weisman / Fall 2020

American Jews are left divided and looking for new directions as Donald Trump embraces the white supremacism of the alt-right and the Zionism of Benjamin Netanyahu

Political Narratives in the Middle East and North Africa: Conceptions of Order and Perceptions of Instability

By Helen Rizzo / Fall 2020

The volume edited by Wolfgang Mühlberger and Toni Alaranta highlights the importance of political narratives in making sense of the complexities of the MENA countries.