ICYMI: 25 hidden gems you might have missed in 2021

In our extremely crowded and news-driven environment, not every article gets the attention it deserves. Below are 25 original publications from the past year that are worth another share, as selected by MEI’s editorial director.

Arguments

1. Understanding the Houthis’ political ideology is crucial to explaining their actions and assessing their appetite for diplomacy, says Nadwa Al-Dawsari
2. President Ebrahim Raisi’s prioritization of rural deprivation is a sign of growing concerns about Iran’s political and socioeconomic stability, says Eric Lob
3. Far from saving Palestinian lives, Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system exacerbates an already vastly asymmetrical conflict, says Khaled Elgindy

Arts & Culture

4. The life, work, and dramatic escape from Kabul of Afghan filmmaker Sahraa Karimi 
5. How a popular Netflix animated series reflects social change in Saudi Arabia
6. The exhibit Architecture of Memory highlights Kuwait’s disappearing modern architectural heritage and the downsides of rapid modernization
7. There are an array of misunderstandings, myths, and outright falsehoods around Palestinian refugees. Nooran Alhamdan clarifies the reality

Deep Dives

8. Grievances have been piling up unaddressed in Tihama, Yemen’s Red Sea coastal plain, for almost a century. What’s driving them?
9. In a state of legal limbo and pushed to the margins, Syrian refugees face dire conditions as Lebanon unravels
10. What might the possible futures for the Black Sea region look like?

Environmental Policy

11. Environmental cooperation in the Gulf might be the issue that could bring Arab and Iranian rivals together and help turn these foes into friends
12. What the U.S. and Iran can learn from each other when it comes to tackling drought
13. What does the Jordan-Israel water and energy deal involve and what are its prospects for success?

Geopolitical Developments

14. The emerging regional cold war between Algeria and Morocco
15. The paradox of Chinese involvement in Afghanistan
16. Slower might be better: The development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
17. Russia’s position in Syria and the parallels with Ukraine

Governance Challenges

18. Why Arab countries would benefit from public hearings on the pandemic
19. Amid chronic corruption and mismanagement, a eulogy for Iraq’s democracy
20. Algeria keeps holding flawed elections and their illegitimacy shapes the country’s politics

Security & Defense

21. The costs outweigh the benefits, as CAATSA sanctions do long-term damage to Turkey and NATO
22. Irregular warfare is increasingly common in the 21st century. What lessons can the U.S. learn from the CIA and Army Special Forces experience in Northern Iraq during the 2003 invasion?
23. Estimating the cost of Russia’s invasions of Georgia and Ukraine 

Technology & Influence

24. The battle over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is increasingly playing out in the global theater of public opinion: social media
25. The flaws in social media content moderation systems and their impact on users in the Middle East

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