Rheumatology Research in the Arab World

The Arab League constitutes 22 countries located in Southwest Asia and North Africa, stretching from the Arabian Gulf in the east to the Atlantic Ocean in the west. Each country in the region has unique characteristics that affect public health priorities and disease burden. Rheumatology care and research vary significantly among Arab countries, but the overall rheumatology research output and impact remain limited. Some of the main barriers to conducting rheumatology research include a lack of vision, educational and training barriers, limited funding, limited collaborative efforts, and economic challenges. However, there is ample opportunity to improve rheumatology research in Arab countries to advance care within the region. In this chapter, we summarize the current global status of rheumatology research in the Arab region, highlight key barriers to high-quality rheumatology research, and propose a framework of recommendations to improve research output.