Decentralisation and Inequality in the MENA Region: Insights From Research and Practice
One month has now passed since the event “Decentralisation and Inequality in the MENA Region” was arranged by SALAR International in collaboration with the Governance and Local Development Institute (GLD) of the University of Gothenburg.
The event and its discussions offered valuable reflections and takeaways on how decentralisation processes intersect with inequality, governance challenges, and institutional reform in the region – from the perspective of researchers and practitioners in the field.
Decentralisation and inequality: opportunities and pitfalls
The integrated theme of inequality served as a powerful entry point for dialogue between researchers and practitioners exploring decentralisation in the MENA region. Much of SALAR International’s work focuses on tackling inequalities—whether in development, participation, access to resources, gender equity, competencies, or access to knowledge.
A shared assumption among researchers and practitioners is that strengthening local governance through effective decentralisation can serve as a key driver in addressing these disparities. However, it is equally important to recognize that decentralisation, if poorly designed or implemented, can lead to unintended and even harmful outcomes. In the MENA context, where authoritarian regimes have historically dominated, decentralisation has at times been used not to empower local actors but to diffuse dissent and maintain centralized control.
Following the Arab Spring in 2011, decentralisation reforms were introduced in several countries as a political response to public unrest, but many of these initiatives have since been reversed or stalled. Worse still, improperly executed reforms can exacerbate existing inequalities, foster corruption, encourage fragmentation, and reinforce elite capture at the local level. This highlights the critical need for practice-based evidence—beyond theoretical assumptions—to guide decentralisation processes.
While SALAR International holds valuable empirical insights into what works and what does not, there is a pressing need to better document, validate, and connect these experiences with academic research and theoretical frameworks on decentralisation and local governance.
The importance of local approaches
Contexts within the MENA-region can often present complexities which make large-scale national programs ineffective. Close, grounded work, while often not scalable in its approach, can be scalable in policy and institutional design, offering potential solutions. This can be achieved through locally based proof-of-concept approaches, where close relationships are fostered with local authorities through step-by-step collaborative efforts to improve local governance and institutions. And in parallel advocacy towards central governments can be carried out.
Looking beyond the formal
When approaching decentralization, it is vital to look beyond formal elements such as laws, policies, mandates, rules and structures. By applying an holistic approach, prospects for effective decentralisation programming increases. This includes understanding both socio-political and -cultural contexts, mapping and engaging with non-governmental actors and institutions, and conducting power analyses to better understand hierarchies, levels of cohesion, and capacities for local action.
Future research directions
Looking ahead, several areas for further research were identified. These include the implications of crises and climate change on decentralisation efforts; the motivations of political elites in supporting or resisting reform; and the conditions under which citizens develop trust in and support for local governance. In particular, better public understanding of local mandates and resources may play a critical role in fostering constructive state–society relations.
The April 22 dialogue affirmed the value of continued exchange between researchers and practitioners working on decentralisation in the MENA region. It underscored the importance of context-sensitive, evidence-based approaches that remain alert to both the promises and the perils of decentralisation. Ultimately, advancing this agenda will require sustained collaboration across disciplines and sectors, grounded in local realities and informed by empirical insight.
SALAR International, GLD, and affiliated researchers are committed to exploring opportunities for joint work in the areas of decentralization, local governance, and local service delivery and development in the MENA region.