Egyptian protesters fill Tahrir Square in Cairo, demanding the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak. AFP
Egyptian protesters fill Tahrir Square in Cairo, demanding the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak. AFP

2011 - The Arab Spring

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Updated 19 April 2025
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2011 - The Arab Spring

2011 - The Arab Spring
  • Many of the regional revolution’s hopes and promises remain unfulfilled but its effects continue to shape the region today 

LONDON: In an article published in 2020 when Arab News celebrated its 45th anniversary, Abdel Latif El-Menawy, the former head of news at Egypt’s state broadcaster, reflected on the fall of Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak nine years previously. 

“In history, there are certain major events that should stop us and make us think for a long while,” he wrote. 

“We must contemplate them to understand what happened, learn from them, avoid making the same mistakes, and emphasize what we found to be correct.” 

Although El-Menawy was referring specifically to Mubarak’s downfall, his words ring true for the broader events that unfolded across the Arab world in 2011. In a climate of frustration, political repression and economic hardship, people took to the streets, igniting a wave of revolts that swept across the region. From North Africa to the Levant, demonstrators rose up against entrenched authoritarianism, corruption and inequality. 

Historians would label this period the “Arab Spring,” a moment of upheaval driven by the hope of revolution and change. As with all major historical uprisings, it was born out of long-standing grievances and driven by ordinary people seeking dignity and a better future. 

How we wrote it




Arab News reported that Tunisian leader Ben Ali has fled his country after failing to quell the protests that ignited the Arab Spring.

The single spark that ignited the entire movement came on Dec. 17, 2010, when a young Tunisian street vendor, Mohammed Bouazizi, set himself on fire in protest against police harassment. His desperate act electrified Tunisia, triggering mass demonstrations that quickly escalated into what became known as the Jasmine Revolution. 

The Tunisian government’s attempts to quell the unrest, through violent crackdowns and then last-minute political concessions, failed to contain the anger. The protests overwhelmed the country’s security forces and on Jan. 14, 2011, President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali fled the country, bringing to an abrupt end his 23-year rule. 

The uprising in Tunisia sent shock waves across the region. In Egypt, anger that had long been simmering beneath the surface finally boiled over. Inspired by the success of the protests in Tunisia, and mobilized through social media, tens of thousands of Egyptians took to the streets on Jan. 25, 2011. 

Tahrir Square in Cairo became the epicenter of the revolution, where a sea of protesters gathered to demand the resignation of Hosni Mubarak, a former military officer who had served as president of Egypt since 1981. 

According to a later governmental commission, over the course of 18 days at least 846 people were killed and thousands more injured. The pressure on Mubarak became unsustainable and on Feb. 11, after 30 years in power, he stepped down. 

Key Dates

  • 1

    Tunisian street vendor Mohammed Bouazizi sets himself on fire in protest against police harassment, triggering the Tunisian revolution and broader Arab Spring. Within a month, Tunisia’s president, Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, is overthrown.

    Timeline Image Dec. 17, 2010

  • 2

    Protests erupt in Yemen and Syria. In Egypt, thousands gather in Tahrir Square, Cairo, demanding the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak. He steps down after 18 days of mass protests.

    Timeline Image Jan. 2011

  • 3

    Anti-Qaddafi protests break out in Benghazi, marking the start of an uprising in Libya that soon escalates into civil war. Qaddafi is captured and killed by rebels on Oct. 20.

    Timeline Image Feb. 15, 2011

  • 4

    An uprising starts in Syria after security forces kill protesters demanding the release of political prisoners. A civil war begins.

    Timeline Image March 15, 2011

  • 5

    Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is seriously injured in an assassination attempt and flees the country.

    Timeline Image June 3, 2011

  • 6

    Syria’s President Bashar Assad flees the country when his regime collapses in the face of a major opposition offensive, ending 14 years of civil war.

    Timeline Image Dec. 8, 2024

It was a historic moment, not only for Egypt but for the entire Arab world. As Arab News reported the next day, “fireworks burst over Tahrir Square and Egypt exploded with joy and tears of relief” at the fall of a leader “who until the end seemed unable to grasp the depth of resentment over his three decades of rule.” 

El-Menawy, who was responsible within the Mubarak government for managing the state media, was informed by a leading military figure of the imminent departure of the president. He immediately released the information to news organizations. As he later recalled, he felt conflicted about the turn of events. 

“I was not part of the regime in its political sense but I was a professional employed by the state and had a role to play,” he said. But at the same time “I also had many friends in Tahrir Square demonstrating for what they believed in.” Understandably, “emotions were running high” that day, he added. 

Encouraged by the rapid successes of the protests in Tunisia and Egypt, uprisings erupted across Yemen, Bahrain, Libya and Syria between January and March 2011. Unlike in Tunisia and Egypt, where regimes fell quickly, these revolts spiraled into prolonged and bloody conflicts, leaving a legacy of instability that lingers to this day. 

In Yemen, pro-democracy protesters demanded the resignation of longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh. While they succeeded in ousting him, the revolution plunged the country into civil war, exacerbating deep-seated tribal divisions and paving the way for the Houthis to capitalize on the chaos. The conflict led to one of the worst humanitarian crises in modern history, triggering famine and a devastating cholera outbreak. 

In Bahrain, the protests were swiftly subdued. However, authorities did implement some reforms recommended by an independent commission.




Egyptian protestor is hugged by army soldier as he raises his hands to the sky after troops took position at major junctions in central Cairo on January 29, 2011. AFP

In Libya, anti-government protests against Muammar Qaddafi had escalated into an armed revolt by mid-February 2011. The uprising gained momentum with the intervention of NATO, which launched airstrikes targeting Qaddafi’s forces. 

This foreign backing ultimately led to Qaddafi’s downfall and death in October 2011 but the country descended into chaos soon after. The newly formed Transitional National Council struggled to impose its authority, and by 2014 Libya had collapsed into civil war, divided between rival factions. 

Syria emerged from the Arab Spring in much worse shape than it had been before. The protests against President Bashar Assad, which began in southern Syria and spread nationwide in mid-March 2011, were met with brutal repression. 

Assad’s violent crackdown plunged Syria into deep instability, transforming it into a battleground for competing global and regional powers, including the US, Russia, Turkiye, Iran, Kurdish forces and Daesh. 

As Arab News journalist Sharif Nashashibi observed five years ago, on the 45th anniversary of Arab News: “The many injustices facing the Arab world over the decades — some imposed from outside, others fostered from within — led to vibrant and determined movements that campaigned for self-determination, human rights, justice, equality and international law. 

“Those movements provided hope to counterbalance despair and disillusionment. The Syrian conflict snuffed out that hope.” 




People wave independence-era Syrian flags during celebrations for the ousting of president Bashar al-Assad at the main Umayyad Square in Damascus. AFP

After 14 years of war, the fate of Syria took a dramatic turn in December 2024, when the rebel group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, led by former Al-Qaeda commander Ahmad Al-Sharaa, seized control during a swift offensive that finally toppled the Assad family’s 53-year ruling regime. 

This moment marked a historic turning point, encapsulating the domino effect that had reshaped the region, from the fall of Saddam Hussein in Iraq to the rise of Iranian influence. 

Despite the most recent developments, the Syrian revolution was a tragedy best understood through the suffering of those who lived it, whether among the hundreds of thousands imprisoned and tortured by Assad’s regime or the millions forced into exile, uncertain if they would ever see their homeland or loved ones again.

Nearly 15 years after it began, many of the hopes and promises of the Arab Spring remain unfulfilled. Several countries continue to struggle with weak leadership, extremist insurgencies and economic collapse.  

But the effects of that season of revolt can be observed in the fates of five regional leaders whose regimes once seemed impregnable: Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen, Muammar Qaddafi of Libya, and Bashar Assad of Syria. 

Of those five, only one, Assad, is still alive, having fled his country to seek asylum in Moscow. 

  • Gabriele Malvisi is a researcher and contributor to the Research & Studies Unit at Arab News. 


Israel says Iran fired cluster bomb-bearing missile

Israel says Iran fired cluster bomb-bearing missile
Updated 33 sec ago
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Israel says Iran fired cluster bomb-bearing missile

Israel says Iran fired cluster bomb-bearing missile
  • Israeli military officials provided no further details

Iran fired at least one missile at Israel that scattered small bombs with the aim of increasing civilian casualties, the Israeli military said on Thursday, the first reported use of cluster munitions in the seven-day-old war.
Israeli military officials provided no further details.
Israeli news reports quoted the Israeli military as saying the missile’s warhead split open at an altitude of about 4 miles and released around 20 submunitions in a radius of around 5 miles  over central Israel.
One of the small munitions struck a home in the central Israeli town of Azor, causing some damage, Times of Israel military correspondent Emanuel Fabian reported. There were no reports of casualties from the bomb.
Cluster bombs are controversial because they indiscriminately scatter submunitions, some of which can fail to explode and kill or injure long after a conflict ends.
The Israeli military released a graphic as a public warning of the dangers of unexploded ordnance.
“The terror regime seeks to harm civilians and even used weapons with wide dispersal in order to maximize the scope of the damage,” Israel’s military spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, told a briefing.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations and Israel’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
“They are egregious weapons with their wide-area destruction, especially if used in a civilian populated area and could add to the unexploded ordnance left over from conflicts,” said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association advocacy group.
Noting that Iranian missiles can be imprecise, he said that Tehran should know that cluster munitions “are going to hit civilian targets rather than military targets.”
Iran and Israel declined to join a 2008 international ban on the production, stockpiling, transfer and use of cluster bombs that has been signed by 111 countries and 12 other entities. After extensive debate, the US in 2023 supplied Ukraine with cluster munitions for use against Russian occupation forces. Kyiv says Russian troops also have fired them. The three countries declined to join the Convention Against Cluster Munitions.


Netherlands returns 119 looted artifacts known as Benin Bronzes to Nigeria

Netherlands returns 119 looted artifacts known as Benin Bronzes to Nigeria
Updated 6 min 19 sec ago
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Netherlands returns 119 looted artifacts known as Benin Bronzes to Nigeria

Netherlands returns 119 looted artifacts known as Benin Bronzes to Nigeria

ABUJA, Nigeria: The Netherlands on Thursday returned 119 artifacts looted from Nigeria, including human and animal figures, plaques, royal regalia and a bell.
The artifacts, known as the Benin Bronzes and mostly housed in a museum in the city of Leiden, were looted in the late 19th century by British soldiers.
In recent years, museums across Europe and North America have moved to address ownership disputes over artifacts looted during the colonial era. They were returned at the request of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments.
During the handover ceremony in Edo State, Oba Ewuare II, the monarch and custodian of Benin culture, described the return of the artifacts as a “divine intervention.” The Benin Bronzes were returned at the request of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments.
The restitution is a testament to the power of prayer and determination, the monarch said.
The Dutch government is committed to returning artifacts that do not belong to the country, said Marieke Van Bommel, director of the Wereld Museum.
Olugbile Holloway, the commission’s director, said the return of 119 artifacts marks the largest single repatriation to date and that his organization is working hard to recover more items looted during colonial times.
Nigeria formally requested the return of hundreds of objects from museums around the world in 2022. Some 72 objects were returned from a London museum that year while 31 were returned from a museum in Rhode Island.
The Benin Bronzes were stolen in 1897 when British forces under the command of Sir Henry Rawson sacked the Benin kingdom and forced Ovonramwen Nogbaisi, the monarch at the time, into a six-month exile. Benin is located in modern-day southern Nigeria.


UK and Bahrain sign defense pact and £2bn investment deal

UK and Bahrain sign defense pact and £2bn investment deal
Updated 7 min 4 sec ago
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UK and Bahrain sign defense pact and £2bn investment deal

UK and Bahrain sign defense pact and £2bn investment deal
  • The agreements were signed during an official visit to London by Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad, who held talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Downing Street
  • The leaders express concern about the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran, and repeat prior calls for an immediate ceasefire agreement in Gaza

LONDON: Bahrain and the UK finalized two major agreements on Thursday during an official trip to London by Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa.

During a visit to No. 10 Downing Street for talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the prince and his host oversaw the signing of a Strategic Investment and Collaboration Partnership, SIP2 for short, said to represent a renewed framework for two-way investment between their countries.

The agreement will enable £2 billion ($2.7 billion) of investment by Bahrain’s private sector in key UK sectors including financial services, technology, manufacturing and decarbonization, officials said. It was signed by Bahrain’s finance minister, Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa, and the British chancellor of the exchequer, Rachel Reeves.

The second deal was a Defense Cooperation Accord which, according to officials, aims to enhance interoperability and joint training between the nations’ armed forces, building on the foundations of an already strong naval partnership. It was signed by defense ministers, Lt. Gen. Abdullah Al-Nuaimi and John Healey.

During his discussions with Starmer, Prince Salman reaffirmed the strength of relations between their countries, which he said continues to grow under the leaderships of King Hamad and King Charles, the Bahrain News Agency reported.

The leaders reviewed progress on a proposed UK-Gulf Cooperation Council free trade agreement, and the crown prince welcomed the UK’s decision to fully participate in the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement, following a joint invitation in December from founding signatories Bahrain and the US.

Regional and wider international developments featured prominently in the discussions between Prince Salman and Starmer, who both expressed concern about the recent escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran. They agreed on the urgent need to deescalate the conflict, ease tensions and resume dialogue.

They also reiterated previous calls for an immediate ceasefire agreement in Gaza, unimpeded humanitarian access to the territory, and the release of all hostages still held by Hamas.

Starmer congratulated Bahrain on its recent election as a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council for a two-year term beginning in January 2026, and both leaders agreed to work closely to bolster their diplomatic efforts in the run-up to that.


Iran appoints new Revolutionary Guards intelligence chief

Iran appoints new Revolutionary Guards intelligence chief
Updated 8 min 41 sec ago
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Iran appoints new Revolutionary Guards intelligence chief

Iran appoints new Revolutionary Guards intelligence chief
  • He replaces Mohammed Kazemi

TEHRAN: Iran appointed a new chief of intelligence at its Revolutionary Guards on Thursday, the official Irna news agency said, after his predecessor was killed in an Israeli strike last week.
Major General Mohammad Pakpour, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps , appointed Brig. Gen. Majid Khadami as the new head of its intelligence division, Irna said.
He replaces Mohammed Kazemi, who was killed on Sunday alongside two other Revolutionary Guards officers — Hassan Mohaghegh and Mohsen Bagheri — in an Israeli strike.
Pakpour had himself been recently appointed after Israel killed his predecessor Hossein Salami in a strike on June 13.
“During the years that our martyred commanders Kazemi and Mohaqeq led the IRGC Intelligence, we witnessed significant growth in all aspects of intelligence within the IRGC,” said Pakpour.
Israel launched air strikes on nuclear and military sites in Iran last week, claiming that its arch enemy was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon, which Iran denies.
Israel killed several top Iranian officials, prompting a counter-attack by Iran, which on Thursday hit an Israeli hospital.
Upon his appointment by Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei last Friday, Pakpour threatened to open “the gates of hell” in retaliation for Israel’s attacks.
Top Israeli figures have openly talked about killing Khamenei.
 


ICE agents asked to leave Dodger Stadium parking lot, team says

ICE agents asked to leave Dodger Stadium parking lot, team says
Updated 19 min 6 sec ago
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ICE agents asked to leave Dodger Stadium parking lot, team says

ICE agents asked to leave Dodger Stadium parking lot, team says

LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles Dodgers organization said Thursday that it asked US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to leave the Dodger Stadium grounds after they arrived at a parking lot near one of the gates.
Dozens of federal agents with their faces covered arrived in SUVs and cargo vans to a lot near the stadium’s Gate E entrance. A group of protesters carrying signs against ICE started amassing shortly after, local media reported.
“This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots. They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization,” the team said in a statement posted on X.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the agents were not trying to enter the stadium.
“This had nothing to do with the Dodgers.  vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement,” she said in an email.
The team said the game against the San Diego Padres later Thursday will be played as planned.
Television cameras showed about four agents remained at the lot Thursday afternoon while officers with the Los Angeles Police Department stood between them and dozens of protesters, some carrying signs that read “I Like My Ice Crushed” and chanting “ICE out of LA!”
Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez arrived at the stadium and said she had been in communication with Dodger officials and the mayor’s office.
“We’ve been in communication with the mayor’s office, with the Dodgers, with Dodgers security, about seeing if they can get them moved off their private property,” she told KABC-TV. “Public property is different. Private property — businesses and corporations have the power to say, ‘Not on my property,’ And so we’re waiting to see that movement happen here.”
Protests began June 6 after federal immigration raids arrested dozens of workers in Los Angeles. Protesters blocked a major freeway and set cars on fire the following days, and police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades.
The team has yet to make a statement regarding the arrests and raids. The Dodgers’ heavily Latino fan base have been pushing for the team to make a public statement and ignited a debate online about its stance on the immigration crackdown happening in Los Angeles.
The Trump administration has activated more than 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines over the objections of city and state leaders. Dozens of troops now guard federal buildings and protect federal agents making arrests.
The demonstrations have been mostly concentrated downtown in the city of around 4 million people. Thousands of people have peacefully rallied outside City Hall and hundreds more protested outside a federal complex that includes a detention center where some immigrants are being held following workplace raids.
Despite the protests, immigration enforcement activity has continued throughout the county, with city leaders and community groups reporting ICE present at libraries, car washes and Home Depots. School graduations in Los Angeles have increased security over fears of ICE action and some have offered parents the option to watch on Zoom.