Middle East and North Africa Program

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Since the uprisings of 2011, the Middle East and North Africa have been in upheaval. With few exceptions, developments have been alarming. A wave of violence – which, even for this strife-prone region, has been unprecedented – as well as intra-societal, interstate, and regional conflicts continue to destabilize the region with direct consequences for Europe. Keeping apace with the dynamics of events there requires continual analysis and debate. This is the only way to further develop impactful local, German, and European policies for dealing with these challenges.

This is where the DGAP’s Middle East and North Africa Program comes in. Its workshops, background discussions, and publications aim to break down complexities, generate knowledge, develop solutions, and create understanding for the interests and needs of countries both in the region and abroad. This approach results in recommendations for meaningful courses of action for key players in Germany and Europe, as well as those in the Middle East and North Africa. To achieve its goals, the program works closely with experts and opinion leaders from all countries concerned. The program’s alumni network is comprised of some 500 experts from the region.

Since 2017, the program has supported think tanks and similar institutions in Morocco, Tunisia, and Jordan to help them professionalize their work and build their capacity for providing policy analysis and advice.

From 2011 to 2016, the program’s work focused on topics related to Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Turkey. It examined both domestic political developments and regional dynamics that affected these countries, as well the quality and impact of European and international policy concerning them.

From 2014 to 2019, the program had a research project on the involvement of the Gulf States in Egypt and Tunisia and the political and economic implications of this support.

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Publications

Tents housing internally displaced people in Atma camp in Idlib Governorate of Syria are seen on the Syrian side of the border zone near the Turkish village of Bukulmez in Hatay province

The Crisis in Idlib

Turkey Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Laura Lale Kabis-Kechrid
Commentary
Presitential elections in Tunesia

Tunisia’s Fragile Democracy

Decentralization, Institution-Building and the Development of Marginalized Regions – Policy Briefs from the Region and Europe
Dina Fakoussa-Behrens
Laura Lale Kabis-Kechrid
Report
Migrants from Tunesia

Tunisia’s Rocky Road to Stability

Security Sector Reform, (De-) Radicalization and Socio-Economic Development – Policy Briefs from the Region and Europe
Dina Fakoussa-Behrens
Laura Lale Kabis-Kechrid
Report

In the media

Events

Past events

09:00 | 16 - 18 Aug 2018

Tunisia’s Fragile Democracy (Workshop I)

Decentralization, Institution-Building, and the Development of Marginalized Regions – Perspectives from the Region and Europe

Tunisia enjoys a unique status as the only Arab country with a parliamentary democracy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). While this makes the country a beacon of hope, there are numerous challenges in the transformation process, as the 16 Tunisian and European participants of the workshop highlighted.

Program Event
Berlin
09:30 - 11:00 | 11 Jun 2018

Expert Roundtable: Social Reform and Challenges in Saudi Arabia: Youth and “Vision 2030”

As a result of low oil prices, Saudi Arabia’s young population is faced with numerous challenges: the traditional welfare system—the Saudi social contract, dependent on high oil rents—is under strain. The expert roundtable organized by the DGAP’s Middle East and North Africa program discussed the concerns and aspirations of Saudi youth, the status of an evolving Saudi civil society, the chances for a political reform under Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, and to what extent the traditional social contract between the state and its citizens needs to be transformed.

Veranstaltung Forschungsprogramm
Expertenrunde
Berlin
09:30 - 11:00 | 11 Jun 2018

Expert Roundtable: Social Reform and Challenges in Saudi Arabia: Youth and “Vision 2030”

As a result of low oil prices, Saudi Arabia’s young population is faced with numerous challenges: the traditional welfare system—the Saudi social contract, dependent on high oil rents—is under strain. The expert roundtable organized by the DGAP’s Middle East and North Africa program discussed the concerns and aspirations of Saudi youth, the status of an evolving Saudi civil society, the chances for a political reform under Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, and to what extent the traditional social contract between the state and its citizens needs to be transformed.

Program Event
Expertenrunde
Berlin
10:00 | 03 - 05 May 2018

Socio-Economic Challenges in Morocco (Workshop II)

Employment, Education, and Migration – Perspectives from the Region and Europe

Discussions focused on the key challenges facing Morocco as both a country of origin and a recipient country for migration; how the current Moroccan migration system needs to be adjusted to adequately respond to challenges related to migration; to what extend the education system should be decentralized in order to address and reflect regional differences; the mismatch between the labor market and the education system; and the prospects for the impact of EU foreign policy instruments to tackle socio-economic issues in Morocco.

Program Event
Rabat,
10:00 | 03 - 05 May 2018

Socio-Economic Challenges in Morocco: Employment, Education, and Migration

Perspectives from the Region and Europe (Workshop II)

Discussions focused on the key challenges facing Morocco as both a country of origin and a recipient country for migration; how the current Moroccan migration system needs to be adjusted to adequately respond to challenges related to migration; to what extend the education system should be decentralized in order to address and reflect regional differences; the mismatch between the labor market and the education system; and the prospects for the impact of EU foreign policy instruments to tackle socio-economic issues in Morocco.

Veranstaltung Forschungsprogramm
Rabat,
17:30 - 19:30 | 13 Mar 2018

The Gulf Crisis - Political, Economic, and International Implications

In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Egypt cut off diplomatic ties with Qatar and imposed travel and trade bans. They accused Qatar of sponsoring terrorist organizations, of keeping close ties with Iran, and of undermining regional stability. Since then, the relations between Qatar and the blockade states have deteriorated and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has increasingly weakened through fragmentation. Oman and Kuwait have failed to mediate the conflict; international actors such as the United States, France or Germany also faced the same fate.

Program Event
Expertenrunde
Berlin

Announcements

Further programs