In the decade since its foundation in 2005, ARI has emerged as a leading institution in the measurement of the Arab democratic transition through its large-scale, cross-national quantitative research. ARI is a key partner in the Arab Barometer, a chapter of Global Barometer Surveys.

Since the 2011 popular protests, the elections in Tunisia, Iraq and Lebanon can be seen as “freer” elections in the Arab world, not least because they haven’t taken place under an autocratic regime.

One of ARI’s main endeavours, the biennial intra-Arab collaborative Arab Democracy Index report provides an assessment of the democratic transition based on the measurement of 40 key indicators.

The Tahdir for Syrian project will prepare young professional Syrians to take on an active role in working towards a peaceful, democratic, and inclusive Syria with transparent and accountable governmental institutions. This project is a continuation of a three-year long Action which ended in March 2018.

Focusing on Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen, the project, running 2015-2017, aims to analyse the governance of security institutions and their behaviour; define the bases on which these institutions can be restructured as well as the link between politics and security; reflect on the organisation of the post-conflict political transition; and determine the provisional or permanent measures to implement in the security sphere.

Free access to information helps promote accountability and the rule of law, and helps citizens monitor their government. Most Arab countries deny access to information; however, some recent patterns suggest a degree of progress. In partnership with the ARI member organisation The Egyptian center for Public Opinion Research (Baseera), ARI through this project seeks to enhance citizens’ mobilisation to demand the freedom of information as a right, focusing specifically on Egypt.