Economic reform is key to the future of a region which needs to diversify away from dependency on oil, or a reliance on international funding. There has been both resistance and progress so far.
Bahrain's oil sector is relatively small for the Gulf. So, the kingdom has been an early adopter of economic diversification and has harnessed the advantage of a well-developed education sector.
After the euphoria of liberation has worn off, Syrians are now confronted with the daunting task of a country ripped apart by a decade-long war. It will be a long road, but people are hopeful.
Uncle Zezo, Uncle Mickey, and Dr Alloush perform in displacement shelters and hospitals, striving to restore fragments of a joy last felt in 2023. Al Majalla meets them.