International Relations in the Middle East and North Africa - What are the Public Perceptions?
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Since the Arab uprisings of 2011, many international actors have come to play a greater role across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). As the U.S. has focused less on MENA, Russia has reemerged as a significant regional actor while China has sought to expand its influence through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by signing cooperation agreements with many Arab governments. European governments remain engaged, with a particular emphasis on the region following the refugee crisis of 2015-6. Additionally, Turkey has expanded its engagement, including interventions in conflicts in Syria and Libya, while demonstrating continued support for Gaza. At the same time, the regional Saudi-UAE bloc has sought to counter influence from a range of countries including Turkey, Qatar, and Iran while pushing back against Islamist interests across MENA. Against this backdrop, the 2020 Survey of the Regional Program Political Dialogue South Mediterranean of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS PolDiMed) conducted by Arab Research and Analytics Associates (ARAA) seeks to understand how ordinary Arab citizens view international actors and understand their role in the region.