The MENA region is a battleground for information warfare. Independent media struggle against well-funded, state-backed digital platforms that use visual formats to spread partisan agendas and coordinated disinformation.
The media and information landscape across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has undergone a profound transformation in recent years. It shifted from building stronger media ecosystems to responding to the realities of war and information warfare.
This is one of the key findings of the State of Media Development in the MENA Region report which draws on interviews with 10 leading media development organizations from across the region.
Over the past year, active conflicts in Gaza, Sudan, Yemen, Lebanon and parts of Syria, along with the regional spillover of tensions between Iran, the United States and Israel, have reinforced the perception of MENA as one of the world’s most volatile regions. While North African countries have largely been spared from armed conflict, they are experiencing growing authoritarianism and increasing restrictions on media freedom. According to Reporters Without Borders, nearly every country in the region continues to experience democratic backsliding, with Syria standing out as a rare exception where the recent political transition has created cautious optimism for a freer media environment.
The conflicts unfolding on the ground are mirrored online. “Everybody in the media speaks about Russian initiatives to influence elections in Germany or France. But our region is the Wild West. This is where state actors and non-state actors alike are involved at levels that defy logic,” said Ayman Mhanna, executive director of the Samir Kassir Foundation in Lebanon. These actors invest heavily in sophisticated digital influence campaigns, often specifically designed to capture younger audiences on social media, which mimic journalism while advancing political agendas. The rapid spread of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made producing convincing fake content easier than ever.
Funding shortages and changing needs
Media development organizations have struggled to keep pace with these rapid transformations. At the same time, the sector itself has come under growing pressure from authoritarian governments and shrinking international funding.
The abrupt suspension of USAID funding in early 2025 sent shockwaves through the ecosystem. Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ) (Jordan/regional) reported losing “25% of our budget overnight,” while Beam Reports (Sudan) was forced to halt projects mid-implementation after receiving closeout notices immediately following the change in the US administration.
European donors remain the region’s primary source of financial support, but they have been unable to fill the gap, because of shrinking aid budgets, the reallocation of resources toward Ukraine, political sensitivities surrounding the war in Gaza, and growing domestic security priorities within Europe.
Beyond funding shortages, many organizations argue that donor approaches have not adapted to the realities of working in conflict zones. Journalists increasingly need protective equipment, internet access, emergency shelter and rapid logistical support, yet donors “were not able to move with agility,” said Raghdan Orsud of Beam Reports (Sudan), because of rigid administrative procedures.
“But if you work in fragile contexts, you must have procedures in place,” she added.
Fighting for a seat at the table
Local organizations are working to make the media development sector more relevant to today’s realities.
They are actively advocating and pushing to be involved in the design of the projects, and not just their implementation. “Sometimes donors have their own agendas that they want to implement in local contexts because they think this is the way things should be. They don’t really take into consideration the local values, the local needs, the local culture and mindset that we are part of as local organizations,” explained Vanessa Bassil of Media Association for Peace.
Hania Bitar of Pyalara (Palestine) also pointed to the fact that organizations that have mastered donor language and reporting requirements are often better positioned to win grants, while smaller grassroots organizations struggle to survive.
Still, interviewees see signs of progress. Pyalara cites DW Akademie’s support for its “Digital Village” in Palestine as an example of a donor funding a locally designed solution rather than imposing an external model.
On the other hand, local organizations are also pushing for a better seat at international decision-making tables. Layal Bahnam of Maharat Foundation (Lebanon) explained that producing policy papers and research has been essential to have them serve on the boards and steering committees of organizations such as IFEX, the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD), and the Forum for Information and Democracy. In 2025, ARIJ’s Rawan Damen was elected chair of GFMD.
Despite these advances, many organizations still feel their participation remains superficial.
According to Orsud, local organizations are frequently invited to surveys, webinars and consultations, yet their contributions are often treated merely as “feedback” or “local input” rather than as the perspectives of equal stakeholders shaping decisions. Practical barriers such as expensive travel and lengthy visa procedures also prevent many organizations from participating in international forums.
Adapting to the new realities
Faced with these challenges, media organizations across MENA are reinventing themselves.
One major shift has been expanding audiences beyond traditional journalists. Many organizations now train content creators, influencers and community leaders, recognizing that they have become central actors in shaping public opinion, even though “European-supported institutions focus only on traditional media,” said Abu Bakr Ibrahim Oglo, CEO and co-founder of MENA Editors.
AI has become another area of experimentation. Organizations such as Munathara (Tunisia/regional) are exploring AI-powered fact-checking, multilingual translation and tools that encourage healthier online conversations. Others are investing in staff training, internal AI strategies and ethical guidelines before rolling these practices out to journalists.
Yet, as Yara Bader of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression points out, there is a certain irony in teaching journalists advanced AI verification tools when many cannot access a stable internet connection, especially in conflict-affected countries such as Yemen, Syria, Sudan and in Palestine.
And finally, to reduce their dependence on international aid, many organizations are experimenting with new business models, developing commercial services that subsidize their public-interest work. The Samir Kassir Foundation has launched an advertising agency that helps independent media secure branded content, alongside a stock photography marketplace for local photographers. Beam Reports is building data analysis and media monitoring services for embassies, international organizations and businesses. In Yemen, Media SAC rents out co-working space and plans to develop a multimedia studio that can generate additional income.
As Carsten von Nahmen, managing director of DW Akademie, put it: “Never waste a good crisis.”
Organizations in the media development sector in MENA are rethinking how they operate, finance themselves and support journalists working amidst conflicts. The coming years will determine whether this period of disruption can become an opportunity to build a locally driven media ecosystem capable of responding to the challenges of an increasingly authoritarian world and a region shaped by conflict.
MJ Daoud Image: Media Lab Cindy Ngo
MJ Daoud is the editor-in-chief of The What If. She is a Beirut-based editor, journalist and trainer with over 17 years of experience covering business, social conflicts and entrepreneurship in the Middle East. She is passionate about solution-based and constructive journalism. At The What If, she draws on her experience reporting from conflict zones to explore how narratives shape conflict, and what can be done to transform them.
LONDON, Sept 21 (Reuters) – The global deployment of renewable power must more than double to meet a climate pledge on renewable growth by 2030, even though it hit a record level last year, a report by renewable groups showed on Monday.
More than 100 countries at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai in 2023 agreed to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030.
The world added just over 690 gigawatts of renewable power capacity in 2025.
It still needs to accelerate installations to roughly 1,200 GW on average, every year through 2030, to meet the tripling pledge, the report compiled by the International Renewable Energy Agency, the COP31 Presidency and the Global Renewables Alliance said.
Total global installed renewable capacity reached 5.15 terawatts at the end of 2025 — still less than half the 11.2 TW target needed to meet the pledge.
Energy efficiency measures are also falling short, with energy intensity improving by about 2% in 2025, below the 4% annual rate needed to meet efficiency-doubling commitments.
“Renewables can still close the gap towards 2030, but energy efficiency is falling behind, electricity demand is rising faster than expected, and the grid infrastructure has failed to keep pace,” Francesco La Camera, director-general of the International Renewable Energy Agency, said in the report.
Nearly $1 trillion a year on average is needed in grid investment between 2026 and 2030, the report said, up from $525 billion in 2025.
Ben Backwell, chair of the Global Renewables Alliance, said governments needed to “make renewables a national economic priority,” including by expanding grids, deploying storage and electrifying homes, transport and industry.
This year’s COP climate talks in Turkey in November are expected to focus on using electricity to power more sectors and push for a new target of electricity meeting 35% of global final energy consumption by 2035.
Reporting By Susanna Twidale; editing by Barbara Lewis
AI and digital twins enable cities to anticipate and respond to crises by providing predictive analytics and virtual simulations of infrastructure performance, shifting from reactive maintenance to proactive, data‑driven resilience.
The cities of the future will not only be strong but also resilient, anticipating disruptions well before they happen and maintaining service continuity even under dire circumstances. As infrastructure becomes increasingly interconnected, the risks also increase. From extreme weather and ageing assets to cyberthreats, supply chain disruptions and geopolitical uncertainty, these challenges are essentially reshaping how infrastructure projects are planned, designed and operated.
These shifts have prompted developers to rethink the true definition of resilience across infrastructure assets.
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Debu Chakraborty, Senior Regional Director, MEA, Bentley Systems
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Traditionally linked to only the physical strength of built assets and their ability to withstand stress, true resilience now indicates critical infrastructure’s capacity to anticipate issues, adapt in real time and continue delivering essential services even when the unexpected occurs.
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The focus therefore needs to shift from building stronger infrastructure to building smarter, more predictive infrastructure, leveraging advanced technologies such as AI and digital twins to prepare cities for crises even before they occur.
As cities grow complex, traditional approaches to infrastructure management become less effective. However, many infrastructure operators still follow scheduled inspections and respond only after a fault has already occurred. This ultimately leads to costly repairs, service disruptions and increased risks to public safety. AI empowers property owners to prevent this by identifying potential issues well before they escalate into major failures.
Recognising this, the UAE is expanding its transport networks and scaling smart cities, while investing in clean energy, utilities and digital infrastructure. At the heart of this vision are ambitious national initiatives such as the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33) and UAE Net Zero 2050, guided by which the nation is also laying the foundation for long-term economic development.
AI leverages real-time data from connected assets to analyse patterns, detect anomalies and predict when maintenance might be required. This enables operators to prioritise repairs, optimise resources and minimise unplanned downtime, ensuring that critical services remain operational even during periods of disruption.
Debu Chakraborty, Senior Regional Director, MEA, Bentley Systems
However, the true value of AI extends beyond this. It empowers city authorities to move from reactive maintenance to proactively preparing for disruptions. When combined with predictive analytics, AI enables decision makers to analyse how infrastructure is likely to perform under different scenarios, allowing them to make faster, more informed decisions before a crisis unfolds.
Digital twins support this by providing a conducive environment for the practical application of AI. A digital twin is much more than just a 3D model – it is a dynamic, data-driven representation of a physical asset that continuously reflects its real-world conditions throughout its lifecycle.
By integrating engineering, operational and sensor data, digital twins allow infrastructure owners to simulate how assets will perform under diverse scenarios. Whether preparing for floods, extreme heat, transport disruptions or utility failures, city authorities can test response strategies in a virtual environment, understand how failures may cascade across interconnected systems and make informed decisions without disrupting real-world operations.
The shift from reactive crisis management to predictive scenario planning enables infrastructure operators to respond swiftly with confidence and seamless coordination in the face of disruptions. As cities continue to expand and evolve, engineers should leverage AI and similar digital technologies to evaluate how infrastructure will perform over its entire lifecycle. This is key to building resilient buildings of the future rather than simply designing for today’s requirements.
Predictive modelling and simulation empower project teams to assess how assets will respond to changing environmental conditions, increasing urban populations, evolving mobility patterns and unexpected disruptions. It further enables designers to optimise infrastructure before construction begins, reducing carbon footprints, future operational risks and improving long-term resilience. The focus should shift from merely developing an asset to determining whether it can continue performing reliably over the next several decades despite an increasingly uncertain operating environment.
Resilient infrastructure depends on both strong physical assets and reliable information flow. During an emergency, multiple stakeholders, from infrastructure operators and government agencies to emergency responders and utility providers, need to coordinate and make quick decisions. This becomes difficult when there is a lack of access to accurate and connected data.
Within a connected data environment, all stakeholders are provided with a single, reliable source of truth across the infrastructure life cycle. Moreover, by integrating engineering, construction and operational information in one place, decision makers can gain greater visibility into asset conditions, ongoing risks and system-wide impacts, enabling faster and more coordinated responses during periods of disruption.
However, with infrastructure systems becoming increasingly interconnected, reshaping data silos has become just as important as strengthening physical infrastructure. This is because modern cities rely on interconnected networks, from airports, ports, water networks and power grids to telecommunications infrastructure; all rely on one another and a single disruption in one system can quickly escalate into a much wider issue. It is high time that data is treated as a strategic asset like any other physical assets.
Debu Chakraborty, Senior Regional Director for MEA, Bentley Systems
In such a scenario, AI and digital twins empower infrastructure operators to continuously monitor these assets, predict maintenance requirements, optimise operations and identify vulnerabilities, to prevent possible service disruptions. This shift towards predictive operations also helps reduce downtime, improve public safety and ensure that essential services continue functioning even during periods of uncertainty.
It is evident that the objective isn’t to simply prevent infrastructure failures anymore – it is to maintain the continuity of critical services when communities need it the most. Furthermore, as the frequency and complexity of disruptions continue to increase, cities can no longer choose to respond only once the crisis has already unfolded. AI, digital twins and predictive analytics support this by providing governments with the tools to anticipate risks, evaluate different scenarios and make better decisions before problems escalate.
In particular, as nations like the UAE heavily invest in smart cities and next-generation infrastructure, it is critical to embed AI into physical assets as a means to ensure long-term resilience, sustainability and economic growth. Ultimately, the cities that thrive in the future will not simply be those with the newest infrastructure, but those that are equipped to continuously adapt and respond to changes through data-driven decision-making.
Effective resource planning and mobilization are crucial for ensuring that development benefits reach every part of the country. The census plays a vital role in maximising resource use to help every household, including those in remote areas, while considering diverse age groups, genders, education levels, and skills. As one of the greatest administrative efforts globally, the Indian population census collects and analyses demographic, social, and economic data of all genuine citizens within a specific period.
The census, conducted under the provisions of The Census Act, 1948, and carried out by the Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, plays a crucial role in shaping political representation, as it determines the distribution of power in the country’s governance system. Regions receive representation in the state and national legislatures based on population size.
Census data is essential for pinpointing families affected by displacement, ensuring that disadvantaged groups such as the poor, elderly, ill, and marginalized communities are not excluded. Household data—covering income, livelihood sources, family size, and housing—helps officials verify and accurately prepare beneficiary lists before distributing compensation and welfare schemes, thus reducing fraud. Remote villages gain inclusion in the census database, allowing the government to better plan and oversee the development of schools, roads, healthcare, and other infrastructure, while also safeguarding welfare benefits from abuse.
By supporting livelihood mapping, the census helps the government, development agencies, and planning bodies quantify the youth population, their educational levels, and skills. This information is vital for developing appropriate future employment strategies. Census data further assists in evaluating educational proficiency, literacy rates, and the number of dropouts in specific areas, enabling targeted interventions in regions with low educational achievement. It also reveals opportunities for vocational training, offering dropouts and underqualified youth skills such as carpentry, tailoring, or plumbing. Additionally, census insights guide decisions on establishing technical institutes like ITIs, polytechnics, and nursing colleges. It also facilitates assessing the potential for incubation parks, where support services, business education, and programs on financial literacy and digital marketing can empower educated youths to become self-employed rather than seek jobs elsewhere.
Large projects such as the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) often require long-term rehabilitation efforts to support the affected communities, in addition to financial compensation for land and livelihood losses. In this regard, socio-economic and village census data enable policymakers to better assess household economic conditions and access to education, markets, and transportation—especially critical in Arunachal Pradesh’s remote mountainous areas. Mapping villages and their population distribution helps government agencies plan infrastructure development, such as roads and connectivity projects, promoting overall growth by improving mobility and access to education, healthcare, and jobs. Health data guide the establishment of healthcare facilities such as PHCs, maternity services, and emergency services. Information on household size, income, and other factors helps develop housing solutions suited to local environmental conditions.
In a culturally rich state like Arunachal Pradesh, major projects such as the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) should aim to safeguard indigenous and tribal identities while fostering modernization. It is well known that all indigenous communities share a profound emotional and spiritual bond with their ancestral lands, and this must be taken into account to prevent cultural alienation. Careful planning based on census data allows authorities to implement heritage preservation initiatives that promote inclusive development.
Since women and youth make up a significant portion of the population in any state, accurate census demographic data help the government implement welfare and employment programs more effectively. It assists policymakers to-
Design region-specific employment schemes to target areas with high unemployment.
Formulate women- and youth-centric welfare and financial measures
Regularly track the progress of different schemes and implement updates to enhance their effectiveness.
The Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) is of strategic importance, as it will help minimise the impact of floods caused by China’s sudden release of water, thereby preventing loss of human life and other assets. It will also help maintain water levels during the dry season, mitigating the drinking water crisis. In addition to helping counter the Chinese ploy to weaponize water resources against India, the project will also help generate power to the extent of 11200 MW, depending on the availability of water.
The genuine success of the SUMP will depend not just on building infrastructure or generating power but equally on how well the displaced people are rehabilitated and compensated. This includes not only monetary support but also access to housing, education, healthcare, employment, and other social services. Ultimately, the project’s success will be measured by how seamlessly the displaced individuals can restore their lives and live with dignity.
(The author is the Deputy Commissioner Siang District, Arunachal Pradesh)
As shown in the image above, outdoor solar panels in a rural setting showcase the renewable energy solutions developed in this article and are also applicable in the MENA region. Photo by Nisar Ahmed Jamali via Pexels
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It’s getting easier to live off‑grid – but it comes with certain costs
For most of Australian history, “going off-grid” meant living somewhere the main electricity network did not reach.
Isolated communities and remote farming properties have long relied on stand-alone power systems. These typically consist of solar panels, batteries and a diesel generator, with no physical connection to the national grid.
In these places, off-grid power is often the most practical option. Maintaining kilometres of poles and wires for a handful of customers can cost more than individually supplying each property.
A growing number of people are considering off-grid living in rural and remote areas. These households tend to be owner-occupiers with extra funds, suitable roofs or land and an interest in reducing emissions or becoming self-sufficient.
Nevertheless, few people are choosing to completely disconnect from the grid, mainly because of upfront costs. And renters and lower-income households who aim to do so face many more hurdles.
Renewables gaining traction
A growing number of Australians are turning to renewable energy systems.
Across the country, we have installed upwards of 4.2 million rooftop solar systems. Batteries are not far behind, with more than 460,000 installations between July 2025 and early June 2026 alone.
Several factors have made this possible.
For starters, renewable energy technology has become cheaper. The federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program, which provides a discount of about 30% on eligible battery systems, is just one example.
Renewable technology is also rapidly advancing. Modern inverters can keep specific appliances operating during an outage. Home energy-management systems, such as smart meters, allow households to coordinate solar generation, batteries, hot-water systems and electric-vehicle charging – all at the push of a button.
Rules have changed too. Since 2022, power companies have been able to replace expensive grid connections with regulated stand-alone systems. These systems are more economical and allow customers to disconnect from the physical grid without losing any consumer protections.
However, this does not mean every solar-and-battery home can keep running when the grid fails. Most grid-connected solar systems automatically shut down during an outage for safety. And generating back-up power is not always straightforward.
Before buying a household battery, you must consider various factors including how much electricity you use and the size and design of your existing solar system. Microgrids can be a lifeline during natural disasters, but current regulatory frameworks restrict how much energy they can supply and store.
being free of fluctuating energy prices and network tariffs, which power companies charge for building, maintaining and operating poles, wires and other physical energy infrastructure
having more control over where your electricity comes from
being more resilient during blackouts
in sunny locations, generating enough renewable energy to cover a large share of your household’s annual energy demand.
having unreliable or not enough power, particularly when the unfortunate factors of cloudy weather, high demand and equipment failure coincide
paying more for back-up energy infrastructure, such as additional battery storage or a diesel generator
needing to maintain and eventually replace equipment including batteries, inverters and generators
giving up the option to send surplus solar into the grid and be paid for it
having to manage off-grid systems yourself or pay someone else to do so.
The economics of going off-grid comes back to location. Leaving the grid makes the most sense in places where installing a new connection or maintaining a long rural line would be extremely expensive. It is much harder to justify in a suburb with reliable, shared infrastructure.
A ‘near off-grid’ future
Our recent review analysed 146 studies looking at how people go from being passive consumers to active energy users that generate, store and manage electricity.
Despite adopting everything from solar systems to electric vehicles, we found most people stay connected to the grid because of the reliability and back-up options it provides.
This suggests households are unlikely to leave the grid en masse. Instead, the future will be one of near off-grid energy systems. Households will be largely self-sufficient over a year, but remain connected for the relatively few hours where they can’t rely on local generation and storage. For most Australians, this hybrid model is much more realistic than going completely off-grid.
However, this raises a difficult policy question. A household that occasionally uses the grid may still expect it to deliver instant and reliable power. Network tariffs must be adjusted to ensure people that can’t afford solar and batteries are not penalised financially. At the same time, households that invest in renewable energy technology should be rewarded, such as through government incentives and rebates.
Australians are no longer wondering if they can leave the grid. Rather, they are questioning if they are better off bearing the costs of off-grid living or having to rely on a shared network. A near off-grid future may provide a middle ground.
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