While the 2018 elections are approaching, few believe that anything will change in the army’s control of the Egyptian regime. When the regime imprisoned opposing candidates General Sami Hafez Ana and Khaled Ali and others withdrew from the electoral race, it was made crystal clear that Al-Sisi’-s position would not be at stake. So, why should anyone study the upcoming Egyptian elections? Could there be a real opposition or is Sisi that untouchable?

Since its auto-proclamation of independence, Somaliland has committed itself to democratic principles and has maintained relative peace and stability within its territory. Southern Somalia, on the contrary, has thus far been unable to form any kind of government and to bring peace to its population. Yet what forms a complete paradox is that, today, while the Republic of Somalia (which de facto disintegrated in 1991 and whose southern part constitutes a perfect example of a “failed state”) is still recognized as a State by the international community, whereas Somaliland, which has a functioning and democratically elected government, remains unrecognized.

2014 is the year in which old and new challenges will arise for Israel. As the state heads towards the 66th anniversary of its independence, it faces roadblocks that – in a nutshell – impede the urgency of its finding a solution for its political, financial and refugee crisis. This article lays out the current major issues that confront Israel, prompting a discussion of potential avenues which it can pursue as it heads towards its elections.

Saudi Arabia’s society is one of the most insular societies worldwide, appearing “immune” to the Arab awakening that swept away some of the authoritarian regimes in the MENA region and changed a number of others. However, the Kingdom now faces numerous social, political, economic and religious challenges, which must be dealt with wisely by the Royal family, as the society‘s awareness regarding its rights is growing. 

Unlike the majority of protesters in the Arab Spring, protesters in Kuwait have rallied against their government on issues anchored in basic human rights rather than on material needs.[1] Instead of trying to topple the government, the focus has been on checking the authority of the ruling family and holding it accountable to its citizens. Arising from these efforts is the plight of the “Bedoon” – the stateless - of Kuwait, who despite living there for decades, hold no nationality. The Arab Spring protests of 2011 invigorated their demands for citizenship but after months of rallying and campaigning, what progress have they achieved?

With Emiratis constituting only 15% of the total population of UAE, the majority non-citizen residents have come to be perceived as a challenge to both national security and emergent identity. This dual threat has been responsible for the UAE’s use of highly restrictive migrant labor policies for which it has been so widely criticized. Although it is necessary and inevitable that the UAE address the human rights concerns arising from this, this article focuses mainly on the factors that have created the need for these labor policies, clarifying the role of securitization discourse in the creation of their terms.