The coronavirus pandemic is the first truly global event of this century. From mainland China, Covid-19 spread quickly to all continents, exposing significant disparities in the responses from different societies and political regimes. The MENA region has been no exception, showing substantial variations in the measures adopted by governments and in the reactions of citizens to the crisis. And while deep uncertainty looms over the medical impact of the coronavirus pandemic in countries with fragile and underfunded healthcare systems, the potential economic and political effects on the region are even more worrisome: especially after a decade of instability and radical transformation. How will these conditions affect regional responses to the crisis? What are MENA governments doing to address the potential impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic? And how is the crisis affecting the geopolitics of the region?
