Chatham House Middle East and North Africa Programme

24/08/2026

'The reforms underway in Syria’s financial system may expand the supply of credit, but they will not make that credit broadly accessible if political and business connections continue to determine who receives it,' writes Haddon Barth.

Read the new article on Kalam ⤵️
https://kalam.chathamhouse.org/can-syria-reform-its-banks-without-reproducing-elite-capture/

24/08/2026

'Syria serves as a microcosm of Turkiye and Israel’s visions of the regional order... Ankara wants its southern neighbour to be centralised, stable and capable militarily. In contrast, Israel wants a Syria that is weak, fragmented and bereft of serious military might,' writes Galip Dalay via Al Jazeera.

In Syria, Israel is not only at odds with Turkiye but also with the regional and international consensus.

20/08/2026

'If Tehran’s influence over shipping flows is perceived to be diminishing, this could weaken one of its traditional sources of leverage in negotiations with the US,' says Neil Quilliam via Al Jazeera.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/20/are-hormuz-ships-more-willing-to-defy-iran-or-the-us-what-data-shows

20/08/2026

The Mecca Agreement 'signals a post-Abrahamic regional reordering and represents the failure of the Abrahamic vision but it is still not inherently anti-Israel,' says Galip Dalay via The Independent.

After the chaos sparked by Trump and Israel’s war in Iran, experts tell Maira Butt that the Mecca Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey could represent a new dawn in the region

19/08/2026

📢 NEW webinar: Can Syria build lasting accountability?

Haid Haid, Hassan Akkad, Ali Alleile and Hiba Zayadin assess how transparency, oversight and civic freedoms can shape Syria’s future governance.

📅 26 August
🕐 14.00 BST
📍 Zoom

Register now ⤵️
https://www.chathamhouse.org/events/all/standard-event/can-syria-build-lasting-accountability?utm_medium=organic-social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=menap

19/08/2026

Mounting US pressure on the financing channels of armed groups in Iraq may not weaken their influence as much as it pushes them to restructure their economy, writes Ali Hussein Al-Khafajy in a new article for Kalam.

https://kalam.chathamhouse.org/sanctions-have-reshaped-rather-than-weakened-the-economic-model-of-iraqs-armed-groups/

18/08/2026

'The expiration of the MoU is, in one sense, the formal recognition of a reality that had already emerged,' says Neil Quilliam via The New Arab.

https://www.newarab.com/news/us-iran-mou-dead-what-killed-it-and-what-happens-now?amp

17/08/2026

Decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) offer a pragmatic path to restore Lebanon’s municipalities, by empowering youth and streamlining fund allocation – provided the risks of coercion and technical vulnerability are carefully managed, writes Kevin Awkar.

Read on Kalam ⤵️
https://kalam.chathamhouse.org/how-digital-governance-can-revitalize-lebanons-municipalities/

14/08/2026

Egypt may yet join Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan in their mutual defence pact. But for now, Cairo is continuing its cautious approach as it seeks to avoid taking sides.

Read the new analysis by Ahmed Aboudouh ⤵️
https://www.chathamhouse.org/2026/08/should-egypt-join-mecca-pact?utm_medium=organic-social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=menap

14/08/2026

'The Saudi-Pakistan-Turkey alignment is more complex, given that each operates in different regional environments and their perceptions of threat also differ considerably. It will take a lot of energy, effort and political will for the three states to find a way of working together and finding interoperability,' says Neil Quilliam via Middle East Eye.

Israel and the UAE have transactional ties based on military and intelligence sharing, but the Mecca pact has political depth