The spread of conflict in the Arab world over the past two decades has destroyed generations of developmental progress, produced over 50% of the world’s refugees, and reversed the long-term global trend of declining levels of war-related violence.  Responses to conflict in the region included international military intervention which has produced severe negative consequences, as was the case in Iraq and Libya.  The provision of humanitarian assistance, which is vital to saving lives, cannot on its own address the underlying causes of conflict.  An urgent focus on conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction in the Arab world is badly needed.


Sultan Barakat is a Professor in Public Policy at Qatar Foundation’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University and an Honorary Professor at the University of York. He is a world-renowned scholar, known for pioneering the study of war-torn societies and their recovery. Professor Barakat founded the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies and directed it between 2016 and 2022. Previously, he served as the Director of Research at the Brookings Institutions Doha Center. At the University of York, he founded and led the Post-war Reconstruction and Development Unit between 1993 and 2019. Professor Barakat has been published widely in academic referred journals. His book ‘After the Conflict: Reconstruction and Development in the Aftermath of War’, published by IB Tauris, was reprinted twice, in 2005 and 2010. He has also written books on the reconstruction of both Afghanistan and Iraq. His most recent book, ‘Understanding Influence: The Use of Statebuilding Research in British Policy’ was published by Ashgate in 2014.