In 2020, the Trump administration secured normalization agreements between Israel and four Arab countries – Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, and the United Arab Emirates – marking a significant shift in regional relations and sparking a public discussion across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The deals were complex, not only secured peace with Israel but included changes in U.S. policy that…
The new administration’s decision risks further damaging America’s reputation in the region. Amid the whirlwind of executive orders and major policy shifts coming out of the White House, President Donald Trump’s decision to freeze the operations of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which administers most U.S. foreign assistance, threatens to have a wide impact around the world. If…
The United Nations (UN) plays a critical role in addressing international conflicts, particularly in the Arab world. Yet, perceptions of the organization differ widely across the region, influenced by each country’s unique experiences and priorities. Using the findings from the Arab Barometer Wave VII (2021-2022) survey, this blog explores which Arab publics hold favorable views of the UN, what they…
What drives individuals in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to pursue self-employment: internal or external personal attributes? How do these factors vary across different countries and economic contexts? This blog presents evidence from a two-level logistic estimation encompassing 12 countries from the MENA region and using data from waves six and seven of the World Values Survey…
The War in Gaza has had dramatic effects on views of publics across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), as Arab Barometer findings have revealed. Unsurprisingly, views of how the Palestinian-Israeli conflict should be resolved have also been affected. Given the images coming out of Gaza, it might be expected that views toward the peace process would have hardened…
This episode of MEnbar, recorded during the Doha Forum 2024, features Amaney Jamal, the Dean of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and co-principal investigator of the Arab Barometer project. Jamal provides an in-depth look at the Arab Barometer’s critical work, which captures Arab public opinion on the region’s political, social, and economic issues. She unpacks findings from…
As China reemerged as a major actor in the Middle East and North Africa over the past decade, particularly through its Belt and Road Initiative, Arab publics initially held very favorable attitudes toward the world power. Yet as this relationship deepened and the scope of engagement became clearer, positive views of China began to fall. That trend has reversed over…
Migration has been a major issue affected the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has for decades. Many citizens across the region have sought to leave their homelands in search of life in foreign countries. Arab Barometer has been monitoring attitudes toward migration in the region since 2006. The newest Wave VIII surveys between 2023 and 2024 reveal that…
Education May Not Be Sufficient, But It Is Necessary The gender gap in workforce participation across the Middle East and North Africa is among the largest of any region in the world. In the latest Arab Barometer survey, the average difference between men and women reporting to have ever held a job is over 38 percentage points. This difference increases…
