The Sisterhood of Journalists

By Leslie Cohen / Summer 2022

Zahra Hankir talks about what it means to be a journalist covering the Middle East, and what she has learned from her fellow colleagues.

From Borno to Aswan: Where Development, Climate and Conflict are Interlinked

By Omar Auf / August 23, 2022

The Aswan Forum, hosted on June 21-22 in Cairo, discussed topics related to African peace and development, including climate change, confronting terrorism, regional security, youth and women empowerment, and more.

Working Towards Sustainable Peace and Development Through Cooperation: An Interview with Ahmed Abdel-Latif

By Omar Auf /

The Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding is a unique Egyptian organization with a mandate for peace through capacity building, convening and research. Director-General Ahmed Abdel-Latif leads the center through its many activities, including serving as the Aswan Forum’s Secretariat.

Celebrating Ten Years of the Cairo Review

By Ahmad Dallal / Winter 2022

Editorial

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.

Remembering Jehan Sadat

By Ariana Bennett /

Driven by the hope of peace and equality, Jehan Sadat was a role model for women, not only in Egypt, but across the world.

Covid-19’s Not Through With Us Yet

By Dahr Jamail / Fall 2021

As vaccines offer hope for a world after Covid, experts warn that in many ways, the fight is only beginning.

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.

Egypt’s Wildest Women

By Pascale Ghazaleh /

A study of Egypt’s art, culture, and politics of the 20th century is incomplete without a look at the leading ladies of the interwar period.

A Pandemic of Vaccine and Technology Hoarding: Unmasking Global Inequality and Hypocrisy

By Lauren Paremoer / Summer 2021

Intellectual property waivers are key to dismantling global vaccine apartheid and providing equitable vaccination to Africa and other continents.

The Most Recent Israeli Crime

By Nasser Alkidwa / May 27, 2021

In attacking Gaza, the Israeli military and government seeks to keep Palestine divided and Palestinians in Gaza politically and economically crippled. The goal of all Palestinians must now be to resist Israel’s settler colonialism.

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.

Enough with Words

By Nabil Fahmy / May 17, 2021

It is time that Arab states lead the world community in standing up against Israeli practices which jeopardize the national and human rights of the Palestinian people.

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.

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.

Summers of Strife: From Libya to Ethiopia

By Nabil Fahmy / Spring 2021

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

The Normalization of Antidemocratic Extremism in the United States

By Risa Kitagawa / May 4, 2021

To dissect the January 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol requires an understanding of the language of American political violence.

Women and Children First

By Elena Habersky / Spring 2021

Women and children migrant voices, especially after the pandemic, must be amplified in discussions around the Global Compact, which aims to bring world governments in line with good and safe migration governance.

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.

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.

Non-Western Theater Elevates Local Culture

By Ibrahim Elzayat and Omar Auf /

Theater Professor Jillian Campana discusses the richness of local theater traditions and the ways in which they can engage Western-dominated theater.

Theater Spotlights Social Trauma and Sexual Harassment

By Ibrahim Elzayat and Omar Auf / Winter 2021

How theater can be used to generate community dialogue and set the stage for social change.

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.

What to Expect from Biden in the Middle East

By William B. Quandt / February 24, 2021

A Biden administration is likely to rewrite a lot of Trump’s Middle East policies, but the Israel-Palestine issue may not be a priority.

Theater for All

By Dina Amin / Winter 2021

How culturally inclusive theater that bears on both Western and Eastern experiences can produce citizens of the world and more global understanding.

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.

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.

2020: The Year We Stayed Away

Social distancing, wearing masks, scavenging for toilet paper while spraying disinfectant everywhere: what kind of year was this? A tragic one for many, but we end with a hope for vaccine somewhat realized.

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.

Social Media Stands as the First Draft of History

By Sean David Hobbs / December 12, 2020

As fake news and reality collide, what impact is the current media and political climate having on the initial outline of U.S. contemporary history?

Egyptian Women Speak Against the Unspoken

By Omar Auf /

Grassroots initiatives to combat sexual harassment in Egypt challenge state and society to face an issue silently yet significantly affecting the lives of countless women.

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.

The U.S.–Middle East Future: In the Face of Fatigue

By Sydney Wise / Fall 2020

As the Trump presidency ends and Joe Biden is set to be the next U.S. president, thinkers convene to consider what his administration means for the Middle East.

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.

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

The World Is Watching the United States

By Diana Bartelli Carlin / Fall 2020

The United States is facing a perfect storm that puts it in the headlights of its counterparts’ world views.

Arabs Try to Make Sense of What is Happening in the United States

By Dania El Akkawi / October 5, 2020

How have contentious domestic crises in the United States impacted the Arab world’s perception of the global leader?

Addressing the Global Health Crisis of Stunting in Times of COVID-19

By Carl Manlan and Javaid Iqbal and Junaid Nabi /

Stunting can be prevented by using technology to improve agriculture and strong governmental support.

What the Beirut Blast means for Lebanon’s Refugees

By Ola G. El-Taliawi and Tamirace Fakhoury / September 11, 2020

Inclusive refugee policies and a renewed approach to humanitarian relief will be needed to protect Lebanon’s most vulnerable.

Society 5.0 and the Future Economies

By Hesham Dinana / Spring 2020

We’re better-connected today than ever before—but has modern innovation created a new society altogether?

Life Under Lockdown on a Small Island: a Personal Perspective

By Tim Cullen /

One small state’s ability to weather the coronavirus storm by remaining transparent and drawing upon the population’s sense of community.

COVID-19 and ‘Reinventing’ a New Economic Model

By Ahmed Fayed /

Recovery from the recession brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic may require the development of a new and more equitable economic model.

Urban-Rural Disconnect: COVID-19 and Sustainability

By David Dumke and Thomas L. Crisman and Zachary S. Winters /

The Urban-Rural Disconnect and how COVID-19 is influencing the Nexus of water, energy and food.

Annexation Makes No Policy Sense

By Daniel C. Kurtzer / June 15, 2020

The fors and againsts of the West Bank’s annexation.