Containing change: the politics of transitional aid in Egypt after the Arab uprisings

Economic grievances played a central role in the protests that gave rise to the 2011 Arab uprisings, underscoring deep frustration among the region’s citizens. Recognizing those grievances, international donors initially affirmed their intention to support more inclusive economic reform in their aid to transitioning states. Yet, those expectations have fallen short. This article illuminates why such reform has proved elusive through a case study of the US’ response to Egypt’s uprising. Drawing on fieldwork and interviews with diplomats and aid practitioners, I show how domestic and international structures and interests may militate against more inclusionary processes of economic reform. To date, the MENA region has largely been absent from IPE literature. This article brings the Middle East into IPE by showing how elites, aid institutions, and experts shape transitional moments like that of the Arab uprisings and in doing so, helps bridge the scholarship on IPE and Middle East politics.