Algeria’s recent protests have highlighted existing divisions within the business class that are only likely to widen further.
Gulf states are expanding the scope of their military education programs to build a new generation of decisionmakers capable of realizing their strategic ambitions.
Military expressions of national identity are helping Gulf countries boost loyalty to the state yet are likely to exacerbate regional polarization.
Ankara’s scare tactics in Afrin and state building in Azaz highlight Turkey’s continued attempts to inhibit Kurdish expansion, yet neither approach is sustainable.
Cairo hopes that support for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir will convince Khartoum to make concessions on ongoing disputes and prevent instability from spilling over the border.
Proposed amendments to Egypt’s constitution will enshrine the military’s position above the state by giving it greater legal means to intervene against elected governments and prosecute political opponents.
The UGTT’s reemerging activism signals a growing emphasis in Tunisian politics on economic priorities.
Without a functional coalition, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Adbul-Mahdi may be forced to rely more on unilateral executive decrees, exacerbating the country’s institutional crisis.
Morocco’s security-oriented approach to countering violent extremism leaves little room for rehabilitation efforts.
Syria and its neighbors all have a vested interest in resuming agricultural trade to increase food security across the region.
Russia is primed to benefit economically from an influx of foreign investment in Syria, but an emerging rivalry with China and Iran for contracts could erode its long-term leverage.
Berlin’s security concerns over Salafi extremism in Germany could easily reignite latent tensions with Riyadh.
Divisions among the states vested in Syria are opening possibilities for Syria’s Kurds to secure greater protection for their autonomy.
The Egyptian state’s continued and worsening crackdown on academic research is hindering its goals of expanding knowledge for economic development.
By fueling a media war between Islamists and leftists, the Moroccan regime can isolate individual critics and prevent these forces from forming an anti-palace coalition.
“Overall, there is pride and joy among Tunis residents, who hope that the municipality will finally change under my leadership.”
Although the Islamic State has lost its stronghold in Hajin, instability within disputed territories provides opportunities for it to survive in both Syria and Iraq.
Saudi Arabia is applying its same harsh interpretation of “terrorism” it uses to repress domestic activists to silence criticism from abroad.
Efforts to reduce the mandate and scope of the UN peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara could shift parties away from a political solution and risk greater instability.
In addition to escalating tensions with Italy, Egypt’s response to the murder case of Giulio Regeni shows how the security services rely on torture as the primary tool of repression.
Sada is an online journal rooted in Carnegie’s Middle East Program that seeks to foster and enrich debate about key political, economic, and social issues in the Arab world and provides a venue for new and established voices to deliver reflective analysis on these issues.
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