ABSTRACT
The paper adopts an interdisciplinary approach to examine Internet history in the Middle East and fill a gap in the subfield of regional Internet histories studies. It is a narrative of Internet development in a complex area and era. It draws on influential key events to question the role of Internet development in current debates about regulation and change and to highlight its asymmetry throughout the region. The paper uses a critical analysis as well as a historical analysis of policies and usages to map Arab countries’ Internet development and suggests a political and cultural framework to help understand the tensions and contentions around this development.
