The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted political relations around the world; however, none have been felt as abruptly as within the Gulf Cooperation Council States. As a result of the sudden of threat materialisation, there has been a surge in the manipulation of technological and social applications in a bid to increase the state’s control over society. This has been legitimised by the pandemic but has its roots in the survival of the state.

Iyad Dhaoui is a researcher at the Tunisian Institute of Competitiveness and Quantitative Studies, a think tank based in Tunis. He received a PhD in Economics from the University of Sfax, Tunisia. He is interested in conducting economic studies relating notably to the development perspectives and the impacts of social and economic reforms. Areas of expertise include human capital, education, labour market, and economic development.