TIMEP

On the concrete floor of an unfinished building in Jobar, northeastern Damascus, amid the rubble left by years of war, residents gathered to discuss the future of their homes. More than a year and a half after the fall of the Assad regime, there is still no credible plan for rebuilding the neighborhood, and frustration is mounting. The meeting was the latest attempt by residents to organize.

When protesters took to the streets more than 15 years ago in what would become the Arab Uprisings, calls for justice in the face of decades of human rights abuses, corruption, and impunity were at the heart of these movements. In the years since, advocates across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have remained steadfast in their mission, while developing innovative and creative ways to pursue justice.

In August 2026, a Lebanese judge initiated new proceedings against former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh and former head of Bank Audi Samir Hanna over alleged financial crimes, including embezzlement and illicit enrichment. How can Lebanon deliver justice out of years of financial crisis?

When I read that Egyptian security forces had arrested more than 50 people for participating in an anti-government online group, I immediately thought of the scorn so often directed at my generation in Egypt—the so-called Generation Z—for being apolitical. I last heard this accusation from my friend Farid during a trip home earlier this year. An activist turned banker, Farid has a penchant for blaming Gen Z for failing to “carry the torch” of the 2011 revolution.

Syria is only just emerging from decades of Assad rule, during which the regime and its security forces tightly controlled media narratives, leveraging fear to keep the population in line. The country now faces a new set of challenges that could derail efforts aimed at its rebuilding and at restoring trust in the government.

The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP) is currently accepting applications for a contractor (average 20 hours/month) for the role of Senior Associate on European-MENA Relations under its Inclusive Economies program. TIMEP’s Inclusive Economies program is committed to bringing together stakeholders from across government, international financial institutions, the private sector, and civil society to unpack, understand, and analyze the region’s economic realities.

TOPSHOT - Sudanese children walk next to bullet-riddled buildings in Khartoum's twin-city Omdurman on March 20, 2025. Across greater Khartoum, the war, which erupted in April 2023 between the army and the paramilitary RSF, has made it nearly impossible for families to bury their dead: with no safe passage to official cemeteries, residents have been forced to dig graves wherever they can -- in backyards, streets and abandoned lots.

Adila, 49, does not speak much about the years she has lived through, but they are visible in her hands: cracked skin and deep lines that seem to mirror the land on which she has spent her life. She grew up near the town of Tawila, in Sudan’s North Darfur State, on the edge of a seasonal watercourse, where her earliest memories were shaped by the rhythm of rain-fed agriculture. There was little room for planning, only the anxious wait for what the skies might bring.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Personal Status Law in Tunisia which helped advance gender justice for generations. Yet, Tunisian women still face an uphill battle in accessing their rights, which drove some MPs to introduce two draft laws to address some of the gender gaps endemic to Tunisia’s economy. These laws, however, risk deepening the gaps they seek to bridge.

Samah Abdel Gawad* did not expect her journey of surviving the raging war in Khartoum would lead her to a different kind of fear in Cairo. Samah sought refuge in Egypt mid-2023, after the armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces destroyed her life and that of her children. Her journey to Egypt was fraught with peril.