Welcome to Our Newsletter! In 2025, MENA is a region where history and modernity collide. Ancient empires and long-standing symbols of authority continue to shape political rhetoric, even as emerging powers seek to redefine the rules of influence across the region. Today, the United States, China, Turkey, Israel, Iran, and the Gulf monarchies are engaging in a complex interplay of diplomacy, investment, and strategic competition, highlighting how power is both inherited and negotiated.
Yet the region’s story is not only about power. Social, environmental, and post-conflict pressures increasingly set the rhythm of this turbulence. Water scarcity threatens livelihoods in Egypt and Jordan, climate-induced migration reshapes demographic landscapes, and the ongoing conflict in Gaza continues to generate humanitarian and political shocks. Meanwhile, Syria’s post-conflict recovery, following the fall of the Assad regime and the appointment of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, illustrates both the promise and difficulty of rebuilding governance, economy, and security after prolonged conflict.
These overlapping challenges do not exist in isolation. They interact in unpredictable ways, creating a “polycrisis” where environmental stress, social strain, political tension, and economic vulnerability feed into one another. In this context, the stakes of inaction are high, but so too are the lessons emerging from efforts to adapt and respond.
Across the region, nations are seeking paths toward resilience. Morocco’s careful fiscal adjustments, Tunisia’s structural reforms, and other initiatives reflect a growing understanding that stability requires both strong institutions and pragmatic policy choices. At the same time, a subtle but powerful shift is underway: the pivot from traditional geopolitics toward geoeconomics, where infrastructure development, trade partnerships, and economic engagement increasingly define influence and shape alliances.
In this newsletter, we trace the story of MENA in 2025, a region where imperial legacies, social pressures, political ambitions, economic transformations, and the consequences of armed conflict intersect. Our contributions highlight how crises escalate, how resilience is forged through foresight and adaptability, and how opportunities can emerge even amidst complexity.
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Shadows of Babylon: Power and Order in a Fractured Middle East
Ferid Belhaj
This paper examines how global powers such as the U.S., China, Turkey, Israel, Iran, the EU, and Gulf monarchies blend legal rhetoric with coercive practices in MENA. The author draws parallels to ancient rulers like Hammurabi and Nebuchadnezzar, illustrating a shift from universal legal norms to transactional, empire-like arrangements... Read more
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Stabilization Experience in the MENA Region
El Hussein Fouad
This paper examines the stabilization efforts of Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and Jordan over the past decade. Despite facing external shocks, these countries have implemented significant fiscal adjustments and structural reforms, enhancing their resilience to economic stresses. The analysis provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of macroeconomic policies in fostering stability and growth in a volatile region... Read more
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Syria’s Post-Conflict Recovery
Bilal Mahli
Syria faces a critical post-conflict transition after Assad’s fall and the appointment of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The country must navigate political fragmentation, economic hardship, and security risks, with its future hinging on inclusive governance, credible reform, and sustained international support. Can Syria turn this fragile moment into a foundation for lasting stability?... Read more
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The Magnitude of MENA’s Water Crisis
Ferid Belhaj
MENA faces a deepening water crisis as climate change, rapid population growth, and conflict strain limited resources. Agriculture’s heavy demand, groundwater depletion, and aging infrastructure endanger food security and livelihoods, while scarcity risks fueling migration and instability. A sustainable path forward lies in renewable-powered desalination, modernized networks, and expanded wastewater recycling... Read more
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Libya, Iraq, Syria: The Fatal Mistakes of Post-War Governance
Post-conflict governance in MENA is hindered by weak institutions, political rivalries, and security challenges. Libya and Syria show the risks of fragmented authority, external influence, and stalled reconstruction. Lasting stability requires inclusive governance balancing political, economic, and security needs...Watch
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Water will decide the next war!
Water in the Middle East is now a matter of survival and power. Climate change worsens scarcity, forcing cooperation while heightening tensions, Israel and Jordan share resources, Egypt faces Ethiopia’s Nile control, and rising seas threaten Alexandria. As nations compete for access, water could become the region’s most contested resource...Watch
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On September 23, 2025, the Policy Center for the New South, the Imal Initiative, and the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation will host the second Rihla Initiative Panel in Rabat, focusing on Gulf investment in green economic growth across MENA. The event will gather policymakers, practitioners, and researchers to discuss climate finance and regional cooperation.
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Policy Center for the New South
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www.policycenter.ma | contact@policycenter.ma
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