The College of Public Policy (CPP), part of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), in collaboration with Brookings Doha Center (BDC) hosted an e-workshop on ‘Governance in the Mena Region: What Can we Learn from Responses to COVID19?’. The e-workshop addressed the institutional and governance challenges facing countries of the Mena region that have been exacerbated and exposed as a result…
Why do Arabs trust the military?
Do people tend to trust non-corrupt and transparent institutions more than others in the Arab region? The logic says so, but the findings show the opposite. According to the Arab Barometer from 2018-2019, 49.4% of people in Algeria, Iraq, Palestine, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, Kuwait, Sudan, Lebanon, Egypt and Yemen have a high level of trust in their armed forces, while…
10+ Issues Lebanese People Care About More Than Politics
… #7 Few job opportunities Degrees hang on the walls in Lebanese homes, serving as decor more than anything else. Many have had to leave the country in search of better jobs, but with the struggles of immigration, even that has become difficult. According to surveys, job creation in Lebanon was rated a deplorable 4%. Furthermore, Arab Barometer reported that…
Egypt, COVID-19, and the economy: A combustible mix?
Egyptians, known throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region for their flamboyant Ramadan celebrations, are experiencing a more subdued month of fasting this year. If the lack of merriment were the only casualty in the time of COVID-19, it might be tolerable. But the expected economic and social fallout is daunting. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects the…
In Egypt, the Coronavirus Poses a Political Threat
The pandemic has exposed the shortfalls of a government that has neglected the health sector for too long. n March 16, Egypt had 126 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus. By mid-April, that figure had reached 2,700. A week later, cases had grown by more than a third. While the outbreak is just beginning, Egypt’s fragile health care system is…
Can Protest Movements in the MENA Region Turn COVID-19 Into an Opportunity for Change?
COVID-19 has offered regimes in the region the opportunity to end popular protest. The squares of Algiers, Baghdad, and Beirut – all packed with protesters over the past few months – are now empty due to the pandemic, and political gatherings have also been suspended. In Algeria, Iraq and Lebanon, COVID-19 has achieved what snipers, pro-regime propaganda, and even the…