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In surveys, Tunisians tell of continuous economic grievances
COVID-19EconomyGovernanceLabor MarketPolitical InstitutionsPolitical Systems Blog Posts

In surveys, Tunisians tell of continuous economic grievances

This piece is part of a four-part series published by the Middle East Institute in cooperation with Arab Barometer analyzing the results of the sixth wave of the Arab Barometer surveys. The latest round of public opinion surveys conducted by Arab Barometer confirms that the deterioration of the economy — or more specifically a continuing collapse in living standards —…

September 28, 2021
The Art of Storytelling: Improving Data Quality and Usage
Blog Posts

The Art of Storytelling: Improving Data Quality and Usage

Storytelling is a powerful tool that researchers can adopt to engage participants, stakeholders, and others, as it produces an effective mode of communication that can inspire interest and push for collective action. As of March 2020 and due to Covid-19, the global shift to work from home and remote research efforts sparked growing challenges about data collection, particularly for marginalized…

September 21, 2021
U.S. Assistance to MENA
EconomyEnvironmentFreedomsGender IssuesInternational RelationsSecurity Blog Posts

U.S. Assistance to MENA

Since 1946, the U.S. is estimated to have provided more than $346 billion dollars of assistance to countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.  This aid goes to a variety of causes, including military, humanitarian, and developmental causes. However, many ordinary citizens across the region hold suspicions about the true intent from Western countries like the United…

August 19, 2021
Tunisia’s Democratic Pulse
CorruptionEconomyGovernancePolitical Systems Blog Posts

Tunisia’s Democratic Pulse

As Tunisia’s major political crisis unfolds, some commentators have argued that the country’s citizens never wanted democracy in the first place.  However, data from Arab Barometer presents a different picture. In recently conducted surveys from the Arab Barometer’s sixth wave, a majority of Tunisians say that democracy is always preferable to other forms of government compared to just a quarter…

July 29, 2021
Tunisia’s protracted governance crisis
CorruptionCOVID-19EconomyEducationGovernanceHealthLabor MarketPolitical InstitutionsSocial Justice Blog Posts

Tunisia’s protracted governance crisis

Tunisia, often referred to as the democratic success story coming out of the Arab Spring, has experienced what some are calling a coup following President Kais Saied’s decision to dismiss Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and suspend parliament. Others say that the president has acted legally under article 80 of Tunisia’s constitution, setting up a significant constitutional crisis. Rached Ghannouchi, the…

July 26, 2021
Bearing the brunt: COVID’s impact on MENA women at home and at work
COVID-19DiscriminationEconomyGender IssuesHealthLabor MarketSocial Justice Blog Posts

Bearing the brunt: COVID’s impact on MENA women at home and at work

The COVID-19 pandemic did not affect everyone equally; every region of the world has reported on the gender disparity of the virus’s toll. This is of particular concern in the MENA region, where women’s rights and roles in the public sphere have been limited by both legal and societal norms. Given the pre-pandemic status of women in the MENA region,…

July 23, 2021
The varying appetites for COVID vaccination in the MENA
COVID-19EducationGender IssuesHealthPolitical Institutions Blog Posts

The varying appetites for COVID vaccination in the MENA

MENA countries have differed substantially in their reaction and response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A regional comparison shows richer countries administering larger quantities of vaccines, relative to their population, than the non-oil exporting countries. Arab Barometer’s Wave VI, which concluded its third survey in March-April 2021, has revealed another troubling trend: vaccine hesitancy among large swaths of the MENA population….

July 7, 2021
MENA Pulse on France & Macron
International RelationsReligionSecurity Blog Posts

MENA Pulse on France & Macron

France has a long history of engagement with MENA, including as a colonial power and through numerous military interventions. More recently, Emmanuel Macron has sought to increase France’s influence across MENA. In 2020, he personally interceded to try to find a solution to the crisis in Lebanon and has worked to deepen engagement with other countries in the region.  Nevertheless,…

June 24, 2021
Fact Sheet: MENA Region Economy
COVID-19EconomyGovernanceLabor MarketMigrationYouth Blog Posts

Fact Sheet: MENA Region Economy

Background: In the sixth wave of Arab Barometer, we interviewed citizens from seven countries in the Middle East and North Africa within the period of July 2020 – April 2021, tracking citizens’ evaluations of their economic situation during the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic. About AB6 How we did this. The following factsheet sets out some of the main…

June 21, 2021
MENA citizens to their governments: “Health before wealth”
COVID-19EconomyGovernanceHealth Blog Posts

MENA citizens to their governments: “Health before wealth”

“Health cannot be bought at the supermarket,” Hans Rosling once reminded audiences in 2006 when discussing health data and development in countries in the Arab region, among others. The famed physician and former professor of international health at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute continued, “You have to invest in health. You have to get kids into schooling. You have to train health…

June 14, 2021
Is COVID-19 compelling Arab citizens to surrender freedoms to their governments?
COVID-19FreedomsGender IssuesPolitical InstitutionsYouth Blog Posts

Is COVID-19 compelling Arab citizens to surrender freedoms to their governments?

Efforts to control the spread of covid-19 have prompted governments across the Arab World to pursue aggressive strategies — from closing international borders and imposing curfews, to restricting movement between cities and expanding digital surveillance of citizens. Such measures expose not only the tension between public health safeguards and protecting individual civil liberties; rather, they also reveal the threat of…

May 24, 2021