Filter content by

117 filtered items.
Blog PostsClear All
Education in Tunisia: Past progress, present decline and future challenges
Education Blog Posts

Education in Tunisia: Past progress, present decline and future challenges

Since its independence in 1956, Tunisia has placed a special emphasis on the development of the education sector. Shortly after independence in 1959, the government implemented an education plan, in which education was approached as a national investment and key determinant of the nation’s economic growth. After extensive evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the sector over several years,…

March 25, 2021
Palestinian anxieties over first elections in fifteen years
CorruptionCOVID-19GovernanceHealthInternational RelationsPolitical InstitutionsPolitical Participation Blog Posts

Palestinian anxieties over first elections in fifteen years

With rising confidence that parliamentary elections will indeed take place soon, and given clear anxieties about the possibility that the siege and blockade over the Gaza Strip could then be tightened, the split consolidated, and that economic conditions could worsen, and given concerns about the potential reaction from the international community and Israel, public attitudes seem to shift a little…

March 24, 2021
Fact Sheet: Libya’s Pulse during the COVID-19 pandemic
COVID-19EconomyEducationFreedomsGovernanceHealthInternational RelationsMediaPolitical InstitutionsReligionSecurity Blog Posts

Fact Sheet: Libya’s Pulse during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background The following are among the key findings from a nationally-representative public opinion survey conducted in Libya by Arab Barometer in October 2020. The survey conducted 1008 phone interviews with randomly-selected Libyan citizens aged 18 or older. This unique survey captures the sentiments of Libyan citizens during the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey has a margin of…

March 16, 2021
Remote work and women’s employment in MENA: opportunity or pitfall?
COVID-19DiscriminationEconomyGender IssuesLabor Market Blog Posts

Remote work and women’s employment in MENA: opportunity or pitfall?

Many women in the Middle East and North Africa are not in the paid labour force despite being highly educated. Good internet access and the global shift to telework as a result of the pandemic would seem to offer them opportunities for work and greater gender equality. But as this column warns, while online employment lowers barriers to getting women…

February 24, 2021
Algeria’s Pulse: Two Years After “Hirak”
CorruptionFreedomsGovernancePolitical Systems Blog Posts

Algeria’s Pulse: Two Years After “Hirak”

Two years have passed since the advent of the Algerian “Hirak” – the social protest movement that instigated far reaching and substantial political change, primary among them was the prevention of a fifth presidential term for Abdelaziz Bouteflika. In Arab Barometer’s first survey of Wave 6, a substantial majority of Algerians (82 percent) believe that corruption was prevalent in state…

February 17, 2021
Libya’s Pulse: Ten Years After the Revolution
GovernancePolitical Systems Blog Posts

Libya’s Pulse: Ten Years After the Revolution

Ten years after the Libyan revolution, Libya makes international headlines for its civil conflict and institutional breakdown. Still, according to Arab Barometer surveys, a majority of Libyans have consistently said democracy is preferable to any other system of government. In Arab Barometer’s second survey of Wave 6, this is what Libyans said about characteristics of democracy:  

February 17, 2021
Digital media usage during times of distress
COVID-19Media Blog Posts

Digital media usage during times of distress

COVID-19 has disrupted livelihoods and economies across the world, changing consumption patterns of all different types of products and services, including digital media. The Arab World is no exception, though perhaps the transformation in digital media consumption has been accelerated by the pandemic outbreak. The Arab world has witnessed a steady increase in both internet usage and social media penetration,…

February 10, 2021
Lebanon’s Pulse on Perceptions of Freedoms
FreedomsMedia Blog Posts

Lebanon’s Pulse on Perceptions of Freedoms

Upon the assassination of Lebanese researcher and political activist Lokman Slim, many have questioned whether or not freedom of expression is guaranteed in Lebanon. In Arab Barometer’s first survey of Wave 6, Lebanon placed last among countries surveyed in perceptions of freedoms.  

February 4, 2021
U.S. & China’s competition extends to MENA
International Relations Blog Posts

U.S. & China’s competition extends to MENA

Globally, a new competition is taking place between the U.S. and China, which extends to the Middle East. China has taken an increasing role in the region, providing aid to governments for COVID-related relief, building on years of increased involvement in MENA through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). As the Trump administration has changed the terms of U.S. engagement,…

January 12, 2021
Devotion at Sub-National Level: Evidence from Ramadan Lights in Egypt*
Religion Blog Posts

Devotion at Sub-National Level: Evidence from Ramadan Lights in Egypt*

Religion informs political attitudes and hence is consequential for understanding political beliefs and preferences. This is especially true for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) where religion is a formidable social force, ranging from its influence on the Arab Spring, various civil wars, the failure of democratization, and responses to COVID-19. Islam, especially, factors prominently in social, political, and…

January 8, 2021