In recent years, Arab countries have undertaken or initiated wide-reaching reforms to adapt their social protection systems to the changing social, economic, and demographic conditions. Reflecting the region’s considerable heterogeneity, these reforms have been driven by variegated objectives: notably extending effective coverage to the most vulnerable and enhancing overall efficiency.

The Covid-19 pandemic and its socio-economic repercussions have further highlighted two seemingly paradoxical aspects of social protection systems in the region: firstly, the inability of existing arrangements to provide sufficient support for those who are not usually considered poor but whose living conditions may rapidly deteriorate in the event of a shock (e.g. workers in non-standard contractual arrangements), and, secondly, the potential of social protection systems to rapidly adapt and scale-up coverage.