Sexual harassment (SH) is a serious problem in Egypt. In the Arab World, Egypt ranks first in SH: the Arab Barometer’s fifth wave finds that within a twelve month period, 42 percent reported some verbal harassment and 29 percent reported some physical harassment across genders. The problem is particularly acute for women, with 63 percent of women reporting some form…
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A gap continues between climate efforts and people’s concerns for the environment
Overshadowed by the war in Gaza, the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) concluded its final session on December 12, 2023 in Dubai to mixed responses. On the one hand, COP28 reached some important achievements, including a deal calling for transitioning away from fossil fuels and a loss and damage fund. On the other hand, some argue that such celebrated…
Climate Change: a Tertiary Concern for Arab Citizens
Climate change poses one of the most serious threats to the Middle East and North Africa. A largely water scarce region, environmental deterioration threatens precipitation cycles, food supply, public health, and more. In fact, the results of Arab Barometers’ fifth wave of surveys show that a majority of citizens view climate change as a cause for concern. In Lebanon, nearly…
In surveys, Tunisians tell of continuous economic grievances
This piece is part of a four-part series published by the Middle East Institute in cooperation with Arab Barometer analyzing the results of the sixth wave of the Arab Barometer surveys. The latest round of public opinion surveys conducted by Arab Barometer confirms that the deterioration of the economy — or more specifically a continuing collapse in living standards —…
Taking Lebanon’s Pulse after the Beirut Explosion
Background In the sixth and latest wave of Arab Barometer, we asked 1,000 Lebanese citizens questions related to the Beirut port explosion and Lebanon’s political system. The results suggest that Lebanon’s economic crisis and poverty remain the top concerns of Lebanese citizens rather than the effects of the blast. And, although Lebanese prefer a civil state in theory, they are…
The dangers of unscientific surveys in the Arab world
…Arab leaders themselves, including the region’s many autocratic rulers, have also come to better appreciate survey research. Whereas a decade ago Arab governments tended to view opinion surveys as posing needlessly provocative questions to citizens, particularly since the Arab uprisings of 2011 officials have been more inclined to permit surveys even on sensitive topics, partly to remain informed about shifting…
How Sudan is ingratiating itself with Trump through Israel
…These developments have begun to alter the calculus for leaders of countries who are dependent on US and Gulf aid. But the concerns of country leaders are not necessarily shared among the population, according to a recent wave of nationally representative Arab Barometer surveys, which measured people’s perceptions of the threat to country stability posed by Iran, Israel, and the Trump…
Libyans want citizenship for children of women married to foreigners
On October 19, 2022, the Government of National Unity (GNU) in Libya decreed that children of Libyan women married to foreigners must enjoy the same rights as Libyan citizens, including access to free healthcare and education inside the country and acceptance at Libyan schools abroad. The decree also waived visa requirement for the group. Children of Libyan women married to…
What lies ahead as Jordan faces the fallout of COVID-19
On June 28, Jordan’s Health Minister, Dr. Saad Jaber, boldly declared that the coronavirus had “dried up and died in Jordan.” Dr. Jaber backtracked days later by renewing calls to adhere to necessary safety measures. Amid fears of a second wave, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan continues to stand out among its neighbors, as it exhibits an impressively low rate…