Presidents the Arab Spring toppled, where are they now?

Al JazeeraCenterEN 5 min read 100% complete by Alia ChughtaiDecember 17, 2025 at 07:11 AM

AI Summary

long article 5 min

Fifteen years after the Arab Spring began in December 2010, Al Jazeera looks back at the leaders who were toppled. The movement was triggered by the self-immolation of Tunisian vendor Mohamed Bouazizi, protesting police harassment and government neglect, which sparked widespread demonstrations against unemployment, corruption, and political repression. These protests led to the ousting of five long-time leaders across the Arab world, beginning with Tunisia's Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who fled to Saudi Arabia in January 2011 after 23 years in power and later died in exile. Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, who ruled for 30 years, was also removed from power during this wave of uprisings. The article examines what happened to these leaders after they were overthrown.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Egypt 50% Libya 50% Yemen 50% Syria 50% Tunisia ×280% Mohamed Bouazizi ×3100% Zine El Abidine Ben Ali ×4100%

Keywords

arab spring 100% protests 80% zine el abidine ben ali 80% tunisia 70% uprising 70% corruption 70% hosni mubarak 60% political system 60% police harassment 50% self-immolation 50%