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09.26.25

Beyond Agriculture: Unpacking the many faces of land grabbing in the Arab World

Rami Zurayk,
Ghinwa Harik

In 2018, a coastal community in southern Lebanon awoke to find their grazing lands fenced off—reclassified overnight as a reforestation zone under a new conservation initiative. Promoted as an environmental success, the project nevertheless displaced dozens of families, cutting them off from land they had relied on for generations, without consultation or compensation. A similar pattern emerged in the early 1990s in Jordan, where the establishment of the Dana Biosphere Reserve restricted grazing and hunting, disrupting the livelihoods of semi-nomadic Bedouin communities around Dana Village. Many residents lost access to lands they had used for generations and were forced to shift to government or factory employment to make ends meet.

These cases illustrate a broader trend across the Arab world: land is increasingly being seized—legally or otherwise—for purposes ranging from infrastructure and tourism to environmental protection and national security. While often framed in the language of progress or sustainability, these initiatives frequently result in the dispossession of vulnerable communities, revealing that land grabbing extends far beyond the widely recognized cases of large-scale agricultural acquisitions.

This article broadens the understanding of land grabbing in the Arab region by unpacking the diverse and often surprising ways in which land is acquired—sometimes by state institutions, sometimes by private actors, and often under narratives that sound progressive on the surface. Drawing on a systematic review of the literature, it introduces a typology of land grabbing based on three intersecting lenses: the presence of natural resources, the scale of the appropriation, and the distinction between so-called “green” and “non-green” grabs. By presenting this framework, the article highlights the multifaceted nature of land grabbing in the Arab world and the need to address it in its full complexity.

The first major driver of land grabbing in the region stems from the economic value of natural resources. Countries endowed with oil, gas, or minerals have become hotspots for land appropriations tied to extractive industries. In Iraq, for example, vast concessions are granted for oil drilling and infrastructure, while in Jordan, phosphate mining projects consume large areas of land. Although these operations contribute significantly to national economies, they often lead to irreversible environmental damage and the displacement of local populations. Pollution, habitat loss, and health issues are common outcomes, and communities who once lived in harmony with their surroundings find themselves marginalized or forced out entirely. In such cases, land is seized not for agricultural use or conservation, but simply because of what lies beneath it.

Land grabbing also varies widely in scale. While early scholarship on the topic and key platforms tracking land acquisitions, such as the Land Matrix, emphasize large-scale deals by foreign corporations, land is just as often seized at the community level by national or powerful local elites. These smaller-scale grabs are less visible and harder to detect but no less damaging, particularly in rural areas where land tenure systems are based on informal or customary rights. At the larger end of the spectrum, national governments and multinational firms engage in cross-boundary acquisitions involving thousands of hectares. These deals are often formalized and publicly justified as serving development or strategic goals, yet the consequences are frequently devastating for local populations who lose their homes, livelihoods, and connection to ancestral land.

Urbanization and industrial expansion represent another key dimension of non-agricultural land grabbing. As Arab governments pursue ambitious economic diversification agendas, they invest heavily in building new cities, luxury tourism hubs, and industrial zones. Gulf states like the UAE and Qatar lead in this regard, constructing futuristic developments that require extensive land acquisition, sometimes through land reclamation or the conversion of traditional coastal communities. These projects may create jobs and improve infrastructure, but they also erase local histories and uproot long-established ways of life. Similar patterns are evident in industrial zones that displace agricultural land and rural communities to make way for factories and logistics centers. Infrastructure development—including new highways, railways, ports, and military bases—further compounds the issue. While such initiatives are vital for trade and national security, they often involve compulsory acquisition of land without adequate compensation or consultation, causing displacement and environmental degradation.

In conflict-affected areas, land grabbing takes on even more disturbing forms. In countries such as Syria, Yemen, and Palestine, land becomes a tool of war and control. Armed groups, militias, and even state actors seize land not for development but to exert dominance or shift demographics. These actions occur outside any legal framework and often involve violence, forced displacement, and deliberate destruction of property. In such cases, land grabs are not only about territory but also about power, leaving wounds that can endure for generations.

One of the most paradoxical forms of land grabbing occurs under the guise of environmental sustainability. Known as “green grabbing,” this involves the appropriation of land for conservation efforts, reforestation, or renewable energy projects. While these initiatives are marketed as eco-friendly and essential for combating climate change, they can have severe consequences for the communities who live on or depend on the targeted land. In Lebanon, for instance, the protection of cedar forests has restricted pastoralists’ access to vital grazing areas, without providing alternative land or involving them in decision-making processes. In Jordan, the creation of nature reserves has displaced farmers and herders, cutting them off from land that sustained them for generations. Large-scale solar and wind energy farms, increasingly common across the region, require immense land footprints that often overlap with traditional grazing routes or fragile ecosystems. Despite appearing uninhabited or unused, these areas are essential to local livelihoods and ecological balance. When land is seized for “green” purposes without proper consultation or planning, the result can be just as disruptive and unjust as any industrial or extractive land grab.

Understanding the diverse typology of land grabbing in the Arab world—from resource-driven acquisitions to those legitimized by development or environmental narratives—is essential for creating more equitable and sustainable pathways forward. These forms often overlap, making them harder to detect and address. A conservation project might involve infrastructure development or be built on land taken decades earlier through political coercion. This interconnectedness reveals the complexity of land politics in the region and calls for more nuanced analysis and response. Addressing land grabbing requires acknowledging that land is more than a commodity: it is a source of identity, culture, survival, and community. Development projects, no matter how well-intentioned, must prioritize the rights and voices of those most affected. Governments and international actors must ensure transparency, enforce safeguards, and uphold the principle of free, prior, and informed consent. Only by recognizing all the ways land is being taken—whether in the name of growth, sustainability, or stability—can policies be implemented that protect people and promote truly inclusive development.

This article is part of a collaborative research project titled “Climate, Land, and Rights: The Quest for Social and Environmental Justice in the Arab Region” led by Mona Khechen and Sami Atallah.

 


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