​​The Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS) and the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies have published Issue 11 (Autumn 2025) of the Hikama​ journal on public policy and public administration. It features a special issue on “Governance of the Defence, Security, and Intelligence Sector in Arab States,” managed by guest editor Muhanad Seloom.

This special issue includes an introduction by Hikama Editor-in-Chief Abdel-Fattah Mady, calling for “an Arab Approach to the Governance of Defense, Security, and Intelligence Institutions.” It also includes six papers on various topics: “Military Hybridization in Sudan and the Challenges of Security Sector Reform,” by Hassan El Haj Ali; “Orders of Superiors Governance: An Approach to Governing the Security Sector through the Promotion of Human Rights and the Rule of Law,” by Rashad Twam; “Intelligence and Governance in Iraq: from Authoritarianism to Fragmentation,” by Muhanad Seloom; “The Military and Politics in Tunisia: Politicization and Civilian Oversight from an Institutional Perspective,” by Mohamed El Aoufi; “From the Barracks to the Parliament: Co-optation and Containment Policies Toward Military Retirees in Jordan’s Parliamentary Life (1989-2024),” by Musab Al-Shawabkeh and Hareth Altous; and “Intelligence and Decision-Makers in the Arab World: Diagnosing the Relationship and Democratic Governance,” by Louay Abdelfettah.

In addition to the special issue, Mohammed Saddougui contributed a study titled “Climate Finance and Community Resilience in the Arab Countries.” The issue also features a translated article by Louis-Alexandre Berg, “Civil–Military Relations and Civil War Recurrence: Security Forces in Postwar Politics.”

In the Book Reviews section, Mohanad Seloom writes about AI, Automation, and War: The Rise of a Military-Tech Complex, by Anthony King, while Saoud Al-Eshaq reviews Steven Ward’s book, Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence: A Concise History.

Finally, the editorial board also presents four featured publications: The Research Handbook on Civil-Military Relations, eds. Aurel Croissant, David Kuehn and David Pion-Berlin; The Global Militarisation Index 2024, eds. Marc von Boemcken, Jari Bertolini, Jan Niklas Reich and Paul Rohleder; A Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) factsheet, “Trends in World Military Expenditure 2024,” by Xiao Liang et al.; and “Unlocking Access: Balancing National Security and Transparency in Defence”, by Stephanie Trapnell and Yi Kang Choo.

** Every issue of Hikama​ is available and free to download on the journal’s website.