Eight days before Hamas launched its deadly attack on Israel, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, in an article written for The Atlantic, described the Middle East as “quieter” than it had been in two decades. This statement has now been shredded. The final lecture of the ME101 series will draw on the findings of previous lessons to offer a regional assessment of the political and economic environment of the Middle East.  Specifically, we will consider the prospects for regional stability, looking at the main risks (political, security, economic, social) faced by the countries in the area.