SAT-7's Middle East Briefing brings you a monthly roundup of news from the Middle East and North Africa, with a particular focus on the experiences of believers and the challenges facing the Church in the region. It's available as a long-read article, or as a 7-minute podcast. Read the articles below or listen to all our latest podcast episodes here. You can also listen and subscribe on Spotify or Apple podcasts - just search "The Middle East Briefing".
Country Briefing: Tunisia
April 2025Home to Africa’s northernmost point, Tunisia has a diverse and vibrant culture. Although the country has a rich Christian heritage and was once the centre of Christianity in North Africa, today less than 1% of Tunisians are Christian. As the birthplace of the Arab Spring, Tunisia has enjoyed over a decade of progressive social policy, particularly in relation to women’s […]
Middle East Briefing: Discovering hope in Christ
March 2025As we begin our journey through Lent this month, ongoing conflicts and shifting political landscapes continue to pose significant challenges in the Middle East and North Africa. In this month’s briefing, we’ll explore how Syrian and Sudanese Christians are holding fast to their faith in the face of violence, hear about the women across the MENA who are opening their […]
Country Briefing: Syria
February 2025Syria is a country rich in culture and history, but after enduring a long and brutal civil war that raged for over a decade and displaced millions of Syrians, communities are just beginning to rebuild their lives. After the Assad regime collapsed, new leaders spoke of inclusion and freedom, but for Syria’s religious minorities the future remains uncertain. Yet despite […]
Middle East Briefing: New year, new dawn
January 2025As a new year dawns, there is cause for cautious hope in the Middle East: a new ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas; a holding ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon; and a new Syrian leadership which promises to respect the rights of minorities. But while there is cause for optimism, many people in the region begin another year amidst war […]
Middle East Briefing: Stories of hope amid conflict
November 2024Over a year since the Hamas-led attack on Israel, conflict in the Middle East has continued to escalate, leaving around 2 million people displaced. But despite the ongoing conflicts, SAT-7 continues to broadcast messages of hope to the region – and viewers keep getting in touch with stories of God at work in their lives. In this month’s Briefing, we’ll […]
Emergency Country Briefing: Lebanon
October 2024With tensions remaining high in the region and air strikes and ground operations impacting thousands of Lebanese families, we’ve released this Emergency Country Briefing looking at Lebanon in more detail. We’ll look at how Christians are responding to the unfolding situation and hear from one of SAT-7’s directors in Lebanon, Sarah Soueidy, about how the team are keeping faith and […]
Middle East Briefing: Life goes on in the shadow of war
September 2024A lot has happened in the Israel-Hamas war over the last two months, though a ceasefire expected since May has yet to emerge. As the one-year anniversary of the current conflict rapidly approaches, the suffering continues with no foreseeable end – and people in the wider region, particularly in Lebanon, live under the constant threat of further escalation. Churches appeal […]
Country Briefing: Tajikistan
August 2024In this month’s Country Briefing, we journey to the easternmost reaches of SAT-7’s satellite footprint: the Central Asian nation of Tajikistan. The presenter of a new Tajik women’s talk show shares with us the difficulties faced by Christians in Tajikistan, but also how God is using SAT-7 to build His Church there. Click here to listen to the 7-minute audio […]