In this paper, Ishac Diwan analyses how autocratic regimes in the Middle East sustain political dominance, including through the exploitation of rents that support the security state and entrench a system of crony capitalism wherein loyalty is secured through corruption as opposition is quelled. Economic performance is subsequently weakened under the ‘static inefficiencies’ endemic to such a system, with competition confined to ‘insiders and outsiders’ in the absence of liberalism.
Arab Limited Access Orders: Can They be Reformed? - Dr. Robert Springborg
In this paper, Robert Springborg analyses how elites in Arab states foreclose the potential for peaceful change by monopolising power and wealth while excluding the majority of citizens from influence on policymaking. Through repression and corruption, elites protect their privileges by resisting reform and reinforcing the encroachment of the ‘deep state’.
Liberal Questions about the Current Arab Reality - Hazem Saghieh
In this paper, Hazem Saghieh examines the crisis of liberalism in Arab societies amid the absence consensus on the concepts of nation, state, and identity. Importing modern ideologies without historical and social adaptation has transformed liberalism into a mere ‘intellectual sensibility’ rather than a cohesive political project. Xenophobic nationalism, Islamist movements, and the rise of nationalist populism globally pose a threat to liberalism requiring profound intellectual and political revisions.
Egypt’s Cultural Elite: Guardians of Stagnation - Ezzedine C. Fishere
A scathing critique of Egypt’s cultural elites as “guardians of stagnation” rather than drivers of hope and progress, examining their failure to lead democratic transition due to dogmatism, victimhood, and state dependency, and tracing how the civic energies that emerged after 2011 were absorbed into old ideological frameworks.
Perceptions of Palestinian Politics and Struggle: The Case of Al-Aqsa Flood and the Israeli War of Genocide - Majed Kayali
An analysis of the aftermath of the Al-Aqsa Flood operation and Israel’s war on Gaza, and their impact on the Palestinian national movement, Hamas, and regional power dynamics. The article examines Israel’s internal and regional shifts, the crisis of Palestinian strategies, and the pressing question of what comes next.
Political Transition in Post-Assad Syria: An Analysis of Discourses - Dr. Sari Hanafi
Sari Hanafi analyses the discourse on political transition in Syria after Assad. He explores the pragmatic ‘political Islam’ approach adopted by Ahmad al-Sharaa while critiquing ‘symbolic liberalism.’ A key challenge he identifies is the the new system’s capacity to distinguish between a common understanding of justice from individual perspectives on the common good.
Who Decides the Foundations of the New Syria? Who Is Sovereign? - Yasin Alhaj Saleh
The fundamental question after the fall of Assad: Will Syria be built on the logic that ‘whoever liberates decides’, on partition, or on equal citizenship and pluralism?
Which New Middle East? The End of the Nation-State and the Federal Option - Morris Ayek
The paper explores the viability of federalism and expanded decentralization, drawing on the legacy of the 1920 Constitution—which predated the French Mandate—and offered an early vision for limiting central authority and distributing sovereignty to ensure the rights of Syria’s diverse components
The New Balance of Power in the Middle East and its Implications for the Nation-State in the Mashreq - Dr. Marwan Kabalan
Dr. Marwan Kabalan provides an in-depth analysis of the new balance of power in the Middle East following the collapse of the Iranian axis and the fall of the Assad regime, highlighting the rising roles of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Israel. The article explores the critical implications of these transformations for the future of the nation-state in the Mashreq, amidst intense regional competition and conflicting international interventions.