Israel beyond its borders: the Cyprus Question
Summary: Israel is heading to the polls on October 27 and as the campaign heats up a powerful Israeli politician is chasing votes in Cyprus.
August 17, 2026
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Newsletter Archive
Below are all the Arab Digest newsletters going back to 17 June 2013
Arab Digest top five podcast countdown: #3 How hard has the war hit GCC economies?
Summary: the GCC is on the frontline of the Iran war making the economies of the six states vulnerable to events they are deeply affected by but have a limited say in influencing.
August 12, 2026
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Arab Digest top five podcast countdown: #4 Football, Sudan and Sheikh Mansour
Summary: the role of the UAE in fuelling the Sudan conflict is well established and well known as is the Gulf state’s ownership of Manchester City football club. FIFA has turned a blind eye.
August 5, 2026
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One year after Suwayda massacres, trust in short supply
Summary: a year on from the massacres in Suwayda, the fighting has largely subsided, but the political crisis has deepened. Without accountability and a negotiated settlement over local security, the Druze governorate has become a test of whether post-Assad Syria can build an inclusive state.
July 31, 2026
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How Sheikh Hamad Transformed Qatar into a Geopolitical Juggernaut
Summary: Qatar’s former “Father Emir,” Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, has died aged 74. During his life he oversaw the transformation of his nation from a regional backwater into a global economic and geopolitical power through natural gas development, bold foreign policy, and soft-power milestones like Al Jazeera and the 2022 World Cup.
July 30, 2026
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Arab Digest top five podcast countdown: #5 Hezbollah and the war in Lebanon
Summary: Lebanon is caught within a web woven by external powers and until the Iran war comes to a conclusion will suffer further damage.
July 29, 2026
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The Sisi National Security Doctrine
Summary: further to our 8 July newsletter our contributor Maged Mandour considers the internal and external implications of President Sisi’s National Security Doctrine following the inauguration of the military complex known as the Octagon and the creation of a new security committee.
July 28, 2026
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Algeria Loses its Way
Summary: a record low turnout in Algeria’s recent election is a reflection of how the North African state has failed its citizens while benefitting a select elite through a crony capitalist system and a stagnant status quo backed by the military.
July 27, 2026
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A deal too far?
Summary: the announcement of a nuclear deal between the US and Saudi Arabia has raised concerns about an arms race in a region riven with war but Donald Trump’s demand that the Saudis join the Abraham Accords has thrown into question whether the deal can go ahead.
July 24, 2026
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