Are MENA States Weak?

       While there are several different aspects that are a part of defining the "strength" of a state, one of the most comprehensive ways to define the strength of a state is to assess the ability of that state to provide public goods and services for its people (such as infrastructure, security, and law enforcement). Another component of a state's strength is its ability to maintain its own internal sovereignty by having authority over the state that it controls. A state that is strong will have definite, undisputed control over its territory, while a weak state is one that is divided between multiple parties with authority being either absent or divided. This includes states that are divided by civil conflicts and those that have lost their sovereignty because of foreign interference, whether it be a more positive form of interference like military support or a negative form like a military occupation.
      There is an important clarification to be made about assessing the strength of states: being a strong state does not necessarily mean that a state is more developed or that weak states are "backwards" or unsophisticated. Developed states can be weak just as developing states can be strong. The strength of a state is not a reflection of the culture of its people or their values, it is a reflection of the power of that government and its ability to maintain authority in the state–no matter how they hold that authority–and provide for its people.
      It is difficult to characterize the typical MENA state as it is a region that is composed of diverse systems of government in a variety of circumstances. However, states in MENA are relatively weak compared to other states. It is a region in which many of the states are plagued with instability, conflict, and divisiveness which have made it difficult to maintain sovereignty and provide services to the citizens of these states and has made MENA states particularly susceptible to weakening. MENA is a region in which power is frequently contested and states are often not able to hold unique authority over their people. Syria and Iraq are in a state of complete disarray because of civil conflicts that have resulted in different groups laying claim to their territories. For example, the Islamic State has claimed parts of Syria and Iraq, effectively making the state unable to hold authority in those territories, which weakens these states. Yemen is in a civil war with the Houthi rebels, who at one point had captured the capital Sana'a and almost completely wiped out the Yemeni state. The state of Libya is divided between two governments, and Sudan lost a good amount of their territory in the creation of South Sudan. Sovereignty is not something that these states have been able to maintain. These are just some examples of weak states in MENA, but, in general, MENA states have had trouble with controlling their populations and upholding their authority because their generally more authoritarian regimes have provoked uprisings from the people and created divisions in these states.