This is a review for a special issue published by Middle East Law and Governance, which examines the varied ways in which states and non-state actors in the Middle East and North Africa responded to the pandemic. It highlights how financial and socioeconomic crises, along with weak institutional capacities, exacerbated the pandemic’s impact on state and society in the region, while also shaping the responses of both state and non-state actors. The issue includes nine studies that analyze these differences through a comparative approach and diverse methodological perspectives, both qualitative and quantitative. The studies were authored by Arab and non-Arab researchers specializing in the region, representing a wide range of academic backgrounds, including political science, international relations, public policy, sociology, economics, applied statistics, philosophy, and the social and legal sciences.​​​