The Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies

What The Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies does

The Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies (MDC) is a non-partisan, interdisciplinary academic research center founded in 1965 and housed within Tel Aviv University. For more than 50 years, the center has produced research on the politics, history, economics, societies, languages, religions, and cultures of the Middle East and Africa, distributing that work through seven scholarly journals and publication series (Tel Aviv Notes, Turkeyscope, Bayan, Bustan, Al-Durziyya, MDC Occasional Papers, Middle East Crossroads), books, the 'Back to the Middle East' podcast, webinars, conferences, and fellowship programs targeting policymakers, practitioners, scholars, and students.

The MDC operates a portfolio of eight specialized research programs — including the Konrad Adenauer Program for Jewish-Arab Cooperation, the Lewis Program for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies, the Africa Research Program, the Kurdish Studies Program, the Doron Halpern Middle East Network Analysis Desk, the Glazer Media Initiative, ISME, and the I.R Fund Program for Contemporary Middle East Research — and maintains dedicated forums on Syria, the Gulf, intra-regional dialogue (Hiwar), and Morocco-Israel relations. Its core technology/asset base consists of the Arabic Press Archives (one of the world's most comprehensive Arabic-language newspaper repositories) and the nationally-ranked MDC Library and Information Center, both integrated with Tel Aviv University's library search systems.

Revenue mechanics are predominantly non-commercial. The center is funded primarily through Tel Aviv University and academic grants, with secondary revenue from per-unit book sales (roughly ₪50-₪100 per Hebrew publication), fee-based Arabic Press Archives services (annual subscription per a May 2024 fee schedule), and partnership co-publications with organizations such as Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and KTAV Publishing. Distribution occurs via the dayan.org website, YouTube, Spotify/Apple Podcasts, Twitter/X, Facebook, email newsletters, academic library channels, and direct partner networks. The legal entity is a non-profit operating under TAU governance with no external investors, no funding rounds, and no disclosed commercial revenue.

Name

The Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies

Legal name

The Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel-Aviv University

Website

https://dayan.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Moshe Dayan Center is a non-partisan academic research center founded in 1965 at Tel Aviv University, producing interdisciplinary analysis of the Middle East and Africa through journals, podcasts, archival services, and fellowship programs for policymakers, scholars, and practitioners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research Services (Middle East and African Studies)

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Book Publishers (513130), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Libraries and Archives (51921), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAJABAC

Academic & Scholarly Journals Publishing (Peer-Reviewed)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Educational & Academic Publishing (Textbooks, Scholarly, STM)

SECONDARYEDAGAFAE

Humanities & Arts Scholarly Publishing

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Academic & Scholarly Publishing (Journals, Monographs)

SECONDARYMPAJABAJ

Research Monographs & University Press Publishing

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Educational & Academic Publishing (Textbooks, Scholarly, STM)

Keywords

• Middle East research
• African studies
• Scholarly publications
• Arabic archives
• Policy analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Tel Aviv

HQ country

Israel

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Publication Sales: Sale of books, journals, and research publications produced by MDC researchers
2. Arabic Press Archives Services: Fee-based access to Arabic Press Archives catalog and research services
3. University/Research Institution Funding: Core funding from Tel Aviv University and research grants
4. Partnership Publications: Co-published works with partners like Konrad Adenauer Stiftung

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Moshe Dayan Center is an academic research center that produces scholarly publications (journals, books, policy notes), podcasts, and conferences on the contemporary Middle East and Africa. It operates the Arabic Press Archives — one of the world's most comprehensive repositories of Arabic-language newspapers — and a nationally-ranked specialized library, alongside fellowship and visiting-scholar programs for researchers and students.

Product overview

The Moshe Dayan Center (MDC) is an academic research center that operates as a multi-product publication and research platform rather than a unified software product. Its core offerings include multiple scholarly journals and publications (Tel Aviv Notes, Turkeyscope, Bayan, Bustan), podcasts (Back to the Middle East), specialized research programs (Africa Research Program, Kurdish Studies Program, Network Analysis Desk), research library and archival services (MDC Library, Arabic Press Archives), and fellowship/academic programs. These products collectively serve policymakers, practitioners, scholars, and students seeking to understand the Middle East and Africa through an interdisciplinary approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tel Aviv Notes: Contemporary Middle East Analysis A scholarly journal providing contemporary analysis of Middle East affairs, covering regional politics, economics, and security issues affecting the Middle East. Targeted at scholars, policymakers, and practitioners.
• Turkeyscope: Insights on Turkish Affairs A journal focused on Turkish affairs that analyzes political developments, regional relations, and policy issues affecting Turkey.
• Bayan: The Arabs in Israel A quarterly journal examining Arab society in Israel, covering political, social, and cultural aspects of the Arab community within Israel.
• Bustan: The Middle East Book Review A book review journal providing scholarly reviews and analysis of books related to Middle Eastern studies.
• Al-Durziyya: Druze in the Middle East A journal examining the Druze community and other minorities in the Middle East across political, social, and historical dimensions.
• Back to the Middle East MDC Podcast A podcast featuring discussions with MDC researchers and guests covering various aspects of Middle Eastern affairs across historical, current, and future perspectives. Distributed via Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
• MDC Library and Information Center A nationally-ranked library featuring an extensive collection of journals, articles, books, and primary source documents on contemporary and historical politics, economics, societies, and cultures of the Middle East.
• Arabic Press Archives One of the most comprehensive repositories of historical and contemporary Arabic-language newspapers in the world, maintained by the Moshe Dayan Center and offered with fee-based subscription/research services.
• Africa Research Program (ARP) A dedicated program focusing on African studies, examining political, economic, and social developments across the African continent.
• Kurdish Studies Program A specialized program dedicated to the study of Kurdish society, history, culture, and politics in the Middle East.
• Doron Halpern Middle East Network Analysis Desk A program focused on network analysis of Middle Eastern politics, societies, and relationships using specialized analytical methodologies.
• Fellowships and Research Internships Fellowship and internship offerings including doctoral fellowships, visiting scholars programs, and research internships for students and scholars.
• Konrad Adenauer Program for Jewish-Arab Cooperation A partnership-based research program producing publications and surveys on Jewish-Arab cooperation, regional cooperation, and Arab-Israeli relations, run jointly with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.

Quantifiable outcome

• 203 publications on Iran alone across 21 pages
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Alliance Center for Iranian StudiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2026Joint webinar on 'Kurdish Boots on the Ground in Iran: Conflicting Expectations' held with the Forum on Kurdish Society, History and Culture
• Konrad Adenauer StiftungcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership for the Konrad Adenauer Program for Jewish-Arab Cooperation and joint publications including Konrad Adenauer Partnership publications on regional cooperation, Arab-Israeli relations, and Middle East policy analysis
• Tel Aviv University - Center for the Study of the United StatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint conferences and events including '20 Years to September 11 Attacks' symposium and 'America in an Arab Mirror' lecture series in partnership with Fulbright Program
• Fulbright ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for joint events and programs related to American Studies and Middle East research
• Moshe Dayan Center ForumsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternal forums including Dayan Center Researcher's Seminar, Syria Forum, Gulf-Israel Policy Forum, Hiwar Forum for Intra-Regional Dialogue, and Morocco-Israel Forum
• IDF/Military PublicationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint book publication with IDF 'Maarachot' Publication, including 'Closed Eyes and Open Sources: The October 7 War' and 'Thinking Islamic'
• KTAV PublishingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublishing partnership for books including 'Iranian Jews in Israel' immigration study

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Middle East Institute: Middle East Institute is a Washington-based think tank focused on Middle East policy analysis, cultural exchange, and education. Direct peer in research mandate, journal and policy publication format, convening of scholars and practitioners, and language-based archival expertise.
• Institute for National Security Studies (INSS): INSS is a Tel Aviv-based think tank producing strategic research on Middle East security, defense, and policy. Direct peer in Israeli academic-policy ecosystem, comparable journals and publications, similar target audience of Israeli and international policymakers, and overlap in co-publication with IDF (Maarachot).
• Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies (BESA Center): BESA Center at Bar-Ilan University is an Israeli strategic studies center publishing research on Middle East security and diplomacy. Direct peer to MDC as an Israeli university-affiliated research center with peer-reviewed journals, policy papers, and international convening on regional affairs.
• Washington Institute for Near East Policy: WINEP is a U.S.-based policy institute focused on Middle East analysis for U.S. and Israeli policymakers. Direct peer to MDC in its regional scope (Middle East, Iran, Gulf), policy-oriented research output, and bilingual Hebrew/English publication footprint, though U.S.-headquartered and larger.

Broad incumbents

• Carnegie Middle East Center: Carnegie's Beirut-based Middle East Center is a globally recognized think tank producing policy analysis on the Arab world, Iran, Turkey, and Israel. Direct peer to MDC in research mandate, regional focus, and scholar/policymaker audience, with overlapping publication formats and convening activities.
• Wilson Center - Middle East Program: The Wilson Center's Middle East Program conducts independent research on regional affairs with a global scholar-in-residence model. Comparable to MDC in research publications, fellowship-driven scholar engagement, and convening of policy audiences on Middle East and broader regional topics.
• Brookings Center for Middle East Policy: Brookings' Middle East policy program is a leading U.S. think tank producing research on regional politics, economics, and security. It is a broader incumbent comparable to MDC in target audience (policymakers, scholars, media) and product format (policy papers, journals, events), though with significantly larger scale and English-first distribution.
• Chatham House - MENA Programme: Chatham House's Middle East and North Africa programme produces independent analysis on regional affairs for a global policy audience. Comparable to MDC in its non-partisan research approach, journal-style publications, and convening role, though operating at a much larger UK-based international scale.
• RAND Corporation - Middle East Studies: RAND conducts policy research on Middle Eastern security, political, and economic issues with substantial government and defense client overlap. Broad incumbent peer in policy research methodology, journal publications, and archives usage, though significantly larger and U.S.-headquartered.

Regional players

• King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies: Saudi Arabia-based research center publishing academic studies on Islamic civilization, Arab politics, and Middle Eastern affairs. Regional peer in scholarly journal publication, Arabic-language archival research, and policy-oriented convening, though operating from a Saudi rather than Israeli institutional base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/DayanCenter
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UChCiurWFDoi3t-rb4VrY4_w
• Facebookfacebook.com/moshedayancenter.tau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about The Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies