This has been a year in the global spotlight for the Middle East.
Mass protests in Iran after the death of a young woman in police custody brought about real hope of change. In Israel, the re-election of Benjamin Netanyahu started a journey towards what has been described as a fully right-wing government.
The Middle East held its first World Cup and the region also returned to the forefront of the global drive for carbon neutrality when Egypt’s Sharm El Sheikh hosted the UN’s climate change conference.
This week, on Beyond the Headlines, host Jamie Goodwin speaks to The National’s regional correspondents as they go through the year’s biggest stories in the Middle East.