About MEPI

The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) of the State Department offers assistance, training, and support to groups and individuals striving to bring change to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).  MEPI works in 18 countries and territories, partnering with civil society organizations (CSOs), community leaders, youth and women activists, and private sector groups to advance their reform efforts.  MEPI’s approach is bottom-up and grassroots, responding directly to local interests and needs. 

MEPI has been active in the MENA region since 2002, contributing over $600 million to more than 1,000 grant projects administered by our offices in Washington, D.C., Tunis, and Abu Dhabi.  In the wake of the Arab Spring, MEPI has significantly increased programming in countries undergoing democratic transitions – including Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia – supporting free and fair elections, the expansion of civil society, and a greater voice for citizens in shaping their political, economic, and legal systems.