Middle East Research and Information Project

Critical Coverage of the Middle East Since 1971

Omar S. Dahi

Omar S. Dahi is a visiting fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Middle East Center and associate professor of economics at Hampshire College. He is an editor of Middle East Report.

Latin America-Middle East Ties in the New Global South

Over the past several years, posters of a gray Chinese terracotta warrior have caught the eyes of travelers in international airports. Hung on walls alongside moving walkways, the posters advertise the London-based bank HSBC and feature photographs ironically labeled with a sentence starting, “In the future.” The campaign was designed

Alejandro Velasco, Omar S. Dahi • 14 min read

MER Article

Some Days Before the Day After

The conflict in Syria has entered its fifth year, with no end in sight. There is no shortage of visions, however, for what Syria should look like after the fighting is over.

Omar S. Dahi • 11 min read

Current Analysis

Syria's Drought and the Rise of a War Economy

The grinding war in Syria brings new horrors with every passing week. The death toll and the number of displaced people continue to soar, as more areas of the country are reduced to rubble. This month, two additional issues with dire long-term consequences have been gaining attention: the possible d

Omar S. Dahi • 2 min read

Current Analysis

Breaking Point

One of the many plot lines lost in the summertime discussions of a US strike on Syria is the pace of refugee movement out of the country. As it stands, the refugee crisis is overwhelming and likely to stay that way. Another external military intervention would further accelerate the mass flight and

Omar S. Dahi • 8 min read

Current Analysis

The Syrian Cataclysm

For obvious reasons, coverage of the uprising and internal war in Syria has been dominated by the terrible human toll. An estimated 60,000 Syrians (or more) have been killed, with tens of thousands more scarred bodily and emotionally by the violence. As of the end of February, over 3 million Syrians

Omar S. Dahi • 6 min read

MER Article

Understanding the Political Economy of the Arab Revolts

The revolts sweeping the Arab Middle East and North Africa in early 2011 have been characterized as uprisings against neoliberal economic policies as well as authoritarian rule. But while there is widespread agreement on the political dimension of the revolts, there has been some confusion regarding

Omar S. Dahi • 10 min read