This calendar lists key dates in the MENA region in 2021, broken down by month. It is subject to change and will be updated over the course of the year.
January
3: One-year anniversary of the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – Quds Force, in Baghdad
5: Annual GCC summit held in Saudi Arabia; member states sign “solidarity and stability” deal pledging to end the Qatar crisis and restore full diplomatic ties
14-15: 10th anniversary of the Tunisian Revolution and of former President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali fleeing to Saudi Arabia
15: 10th anniversary of first organized Cairo protests in Tahrir Square
15: U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan and Iraq will be reduced to 2,500 by this date
February
The first UAE Mars expedition, the probe Al-Amal, is expected to reach Mars for a 2-year expedition
11: 10th anniversary of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepping down
14: 10th anniversary of Bahraini uprisings
10: 42nd anniversary of Iranian Islamic Revolution
16: 2nd anniversary of Algerian “Revolution of Smiles”
28: 30th anniversary of Gulf War
March
6: Pakistani Senate elections are scheduled to be held
11: 10th anniversary of pro-democracy protests in Syria
31: Expiration of EU Operation IRINI to enforce arms embargo on Libya in coordination with UNSC
April
Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in Syria (between April 16 and May 16 by law)
1: Oman will implement a new 5% value added tax
11: 2nd anniversary of the Sudanese coup d’etat that deposed former President Omar al-Bashir after 30 years in power
May
Planned withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Afghanistan
15: 75th anniversary of Jordanian independence
June
The UN Security Council will hold elections for two year terms; the UAE is a candidate
6: Iraq will hold general elections (early)
7: 1st anniversary of the start of the Suweida protests in Syria
18: Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in Iran
24: 3rd anniversary of women’s right to drive in Saudi Arabia
July
1: Serbia will move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem
1: 10th anniversary of Moroccan voters approving constitutional changes that limit the monarchy’s control
August
Second phase of filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is set to begin
20: 10th anniversary of Libyan rebels’ fight for Tripoli
September
6: 30th anniversary of the end of the Western Sahara War
18: Expiration of United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh/ISIL
October
20: 10th anniversary of death of Muammar Gaddafi
21: World Expo 2020 is set to open in Dubai (delayed due to COVID-19)
November
Moroccan parliamentary elections are expected to be held
1: 40th anniversary of 1st multi-party elections in Tunisia
December
Council of the Nation elections are expected to be held in Algeria
30th anniversary of the beginning of the Algerian Civil War
2: 50th anniversary of UAE independence
11: 10th anniversary of the end of the Iraq war
24: Elections are scheduled to be held in Libya
Photo by Rustam Azmi/Getty Images
معهد الشرق الأوسط (MEI) هو منظمة تعليمية مستقلة وغير حزبية وغير ربحية. لا يشارك المعهد في أي أنشطة دعوية، وآراء الباحثين فيه تعبر عن آرائهم الشخصية. يرحب المعهد بالتبرعات المالية، لكنه يحتفظ بالسيطرة التحريرية الكاملة على أعماله، ولا تعكس منشوراته سوى آراء المؤلفين. للاطلاع على قائمة المتبرعين للمعهد، يرجى النقر هنا.
