Friedrich Ebert Stiftung MENA

What Friedrich Ebert Stiftung MENA does

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung MENA (FES MENA) is the Middle East and North Africa regional department of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung e.V., the political foundation of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD), founded in 1925 and headquartered in Bonn. FES MENA is registered as a non-profit (eingetragener Verein) and is not listed on any exchange; it does not sell products or services and reports no commercial revenue. The organization is funded through German federal government grants, project grants from international donors, and donations, with governance anchored to its German parent and SPD affiliation.

FES MENA operates a regional office in Tunis (La Marsa, Tunisia) and 13 wholly-owned country offices spanning Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen, and Türkiye. Its product portfolio is organized into regional projects and thematic pillars: Economic Policies for Social Justice, the Regional Competence Center for Energy and Climate Justice MENA, the Regional Trade Union Programme, the Young Leaders Programme, the FES MENA Youth Study, the Regional Peace and Security Project, the Migration Governance Programme, the Political Feminism MENA platform, and the Educational Game 2121. Content is delivered through multilingual publications (Arabic, English, French), a blog, an events programme, podcasts, and the FES Digital Library. The technology stack is non-proprietary and limited to Matomo self-hosted analytics plus third-party video and mapping integrations (YouTube, Vimeo, Google Maps, Google Custom Search).

Distribution is direct-to-audience: country offices serve as local anchors for scholarships, printed publications, and convening; events and conferences drive mid-funnel engagement; and the website, digital library, and social channels (Facebook, Twitter/X, YouTube, Instagram, SoundCloud) drive top-of-funnel reach. Strategic partners include the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (Middle East Program) and the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) for transatlantic convening, and TNS Infratest for flagship youth research. The customer base is non-commercial: youth aged 16-30, trade unions, civil-society organizations, and policymakers in MENA governments, with pricing effectively set to zero (free downloads, need- and merit-based scholarships).

Name

Friedrich Ebert Stiftung MENA

Legal name

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung e.V.

Website

https://mena.fes.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung MENA is the Middle East and North Africa regional office of the German SPD-affiliated political foundation, operating 13 country offices that deliver research, training, and convening on social justice, democracy, and peace to youth, trade unions, civil society, and policymakers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Political Foundation Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Political Organizations (813940)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multilateral Diplomacy & International Representation (UN, Regional Bodies) (BPAIAIAC), Peace, Security Sector Reform & Stabilization Programs (BPADABAH)

Keywords

• Policy research
• Political foundation
• Democracy promotion
• Civil society development
• Think tank publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Tunis (La Marsa)

HQ country

Tunisia

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Funding: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung is a German political foundation funded primarily by the German government and membership contributions. As a non-profit organization, it does not generate commercial revenue but operates through grants, donations, and government funding to support its mission of promoting democracy, social justice, and international understanding.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung MENA is a regional political foundation that delivers policy research, multi-stakeholder convening, scholarships, and capacity-building programmes across the Middle East and North Africa. Its thematic portfolio covers economic justice, workers' rights and trade unions, gender justice, youth participation, climate and energy, migration, and peace and security, operated through 12+ country offices and delivered via publications, conferences, and dedicated platforms.

Product overview

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung MENA operates as a political foundation with a multi-project portfolio organized by regional initiatives and thematic focus areas. The regional projects include Economic Policies for Social Justice, Regional Competence Center for Energy and Climate Justice MENA, Regional Trade Union Programme, Migration Governance Programme, Young Leaders Programme, FES MENA Youth Study, and Regional Peace and Security Project. Cross-cutting themes cover Economy and Social Justice, Workers' Rights, Gender Justice, Youth Participation, Climate and Energy, and Peace and Security. Additional offerings include the Political Feminism dedicated platform, the Educational Game 2121 digital tool, and content platforms for Publications, Blog, and Events. The organization also maintains country-specific offices across the MENA region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Political Feminism MENA: Regional project dedicated to political feminism and gender justice across the MENA region, operating from feminism-mena.fes.de
• FES MENA Youth Study
• Young Leaders Programme
• Regional Trade Union Programme
• Regional Peace and Security Project

Products and services

• Economic Policies for Social Justice Regional project addressing social justice issues in the Arab world, with sub-initiatives including Social Protection and Equality, Feminist Economics, DSA Toolkit, IMF/World Bank engagement, and FlousStory financial literacy content.
• Regional Competence Center for Energy and Climate Justice MENA Regional project focusing on climate justice, social consequences of climate change, renewable energy, and energy efficiency in the MENA region.
• Regional Trade Union Programme Programme addressing trade union roles in political unrest, with initiatives including Migrant Workers' Voices, Just Transition Voices, Female Voices, and Youth Voices.
• Young Leaders Programme Programme promoting young people across MENA countries including Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen.
• FES MENA Youth Study Comprehensive study conducted with TNS Infratest surveying approximately 12,000 young people aged 16-30 across 12 MENA countries, providing critical insights into youth conditions and engagement.
• Regional Peace and Security Project Project addressing the numerous deadly conflicts and unresolved crises in the MENA region, covering geopolitical analysis and regional security cooperation.
• Migration Governance Programme Programme fostering cooperation between trade unions and stakeholders in North Africa, West Africa, and Europe on migration governance.
• Political Feminism Platform Dedicated platform (feminism-mena.fes.de) addressing gender justice issues, asserting that social justice requires gender justice and socio-political and economic reforms.
• Educational Game 2121 Educational game focused on youth participation themes, available as part of the Youth Participation theme.

Quantifiable outcome

• FES conducted the largest German youth study in the MENA region, surveying 12,000 young people across 12 countries on their conditions, engagement, and outlook
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (Middle East Program)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2026Co-organized a two-day high-level conference on 'Collective Action and Diplomacy in the Middle East. Which Prospects for Security?' in Berlin, Germany on June 23-24, 2026. Distinguished experts, policymakers, and practitioners from the Middle East, Germany, Europe, and the United States participated in discussions on regional collective action and diplomacy.
• German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2026Co-organized the second Middle East conference in Berlin alongside Carnegie Endowment and FES, focusing on collective action and diplomacy in the Middle East with participation from regional and international experts and policymakers.
• TNS InfratestcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Collaborated with TNS Infratest to conduct the FES MENA Youth Study, surveying 12,000 young people aged 16-30 across 12 MENA countries. The study provides critical analysis of youth conditions, engagement, and political participation in the region.
• Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung e.V.coreOthersFES MENA is the regional department of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung e.V., the German political foundation headquartered in Bonn, Germany. The parent organization provides funding, strategic direction, and global network support.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• International Crisis Group: Global think tank producing field-based analysis and policy recommendations on active conflicts, with substantial MENA coverage including Syria, Yemen, Libya, and Sudan — directly comparable to FES's Regional Peace and Security Project.
• Atlantic Council (Rafik Hariri Middle East Center): US think tank with a dedicated MENA center producing policy analysis, hosting convenings, and engaging regional stakeholders — comparable to FES MENA's mix of research, convening, and policy engagement across the same geography.
• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (Middle East Program): Major US-headquartered think tank with a long-standing Middle East program that publishes policy analysis, convenes experts, and partners with FES on diplomacy conferences — directly overlapping on regional research and convening authority.
• Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung: German political foundation affiliated with the Green Party, operating across MENA through offices, democracy support, climate, and gender programs — directly comparable in mandate, scale, and German federal funding model.
• Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung: German political foundation affiliated with the CDU/CSU with extensive MENA offices and programming — the closest ideological peer and direct sister foundation comparable on mission, structure, and regional footprint.
• Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung: German political foundation affiliated with Die Linke, operating a MENA office that focuses on social justice, labor rights, and political education — a direct institutional peer to FES on thematic scope and target audiences.
• Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung: German political foundation affiliated with the FDP, with MENA programming on civic education, economic reform, and rule of law — a sister foundation with a similar funding model and regional presence.
• SWP – German Institute for International and Security Affairs: Berlin-based German policy research institute producing analysis on international and security affairs, including the Middle East — a co-organizer of the June 2026 Berlin conference and a near-perfect overlap on peace, security, and diplomacy programming.

Broad incumbents

• Chatham House (Middle East and North Africa Programme): UK-based international affairs think tank with a longstanding MENA programme covering political economy, governance, and security — directly comparable to FES MENA's research and convening model on regional policy issues.
• Brookings Institution (Middle East Program): Large US policy research organization with a Middle East program covering economics, security, and governance — overlapping with FES MENA's economic and political research themes while operating at significantly larger scale and English-language media reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fes_mena
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCSLXI1QV5uGNr0gy4eGRo6A
• Facebookfacebook.com/FESMENA
• Instagraminstagram.com/fesonline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friedrich-ebert-stiftung-mena

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Friedrich Ebert Stiftung MENA