Bayt al Hikma 2.0: Publishing That People Return To

Bayt al Hikma 2.0 continued to operate as a working digital library rather than a static archive.

During Q4, the team published 118 new articles across economics, science, political theory, and history. Over the course of the year, more than 60 videos were produced, bringing total views across IBB platforms to over 200 million.

The magazine program expanded sharply. Twelve issues were released in a single quarter, covering topics such as Singapore’s economic model, rare earth minerals, and the logic behind Nassim Taleb’s Black Swan theory. Reader feedback remained consistent, with an average rating of 4.54 stars.

Much of this material continues to circulate well beyond its release window. Articles published earlier in the year remain among the most-read pieces on the site.

Education in Afghanistan: Continuity Over Time

In Afghanistan, where girls remain barred from formal schooling, IBB’s underground schools stayed open.

In 2025 alone, the program served more than 4,100 students across 36 locations. Since the program began four years ago, 16,395 students have passed through these classrooms.

This year, 100 graduates were hired back into the program as teachers or staff. Some returned to teach the same subjects they once studied. Others took on administrative or coordination roles.

Classes covered 13 subjects, including physics, chemistry, and English. Students also participated in weekly storytelling sessions and psychological support seminars—added after repeated requests from families and teachers.

One student, Sadaf* (16), described the experience this way:

“During the days when school was closed to us, we had no hope. With your help, we were able to study again.”

Sadaf* (16), Student

Plans for 2026 include expanding capacity to 5,700 students, opening new centers, and adding home-based classrooms across eight provinces.

*Name changed for safety.

Removing Bottlenecks: Economic and Legal Reform

Some of the most visible changes this quarter came from procedural reform.

In Kurdistan, business registration was moved fully online. Processing time dropped from three months to 24 hours. Since the change, more than 7,000 companies have registered.

The reform didn’t create demand for entrepreneurship. It reduced the cost of acting on it.

Progress also continued on medical law reform. In Q4, 26 members of parliament formally signed on to introduce and negotiate draft legislation developed with IBB’s support. The bill is now under review.

The process remains slow, but it has moved from drafting to debate.

Books: Making Access Routine

Eight major titles were translated and published this quarter, including Minxin Pei’s The Sentinel State and Ayn Rand’s Anthem. Two additional works—Eamonn Butler’s Schools of Economic Thought and Hayek’s Law, Legislation, and Liberty—are in final production.

In several countries, access to these books still happens through informal channels: shared files, offline copies, and private networks. The formats vary, but demand has been steady: book downloads have progressively increased on our Bayt al Hikma website.

Middle East Uncovered: Reporting People Stay With

Middle East Uncovered launched in May. By the end of Q4, it had developed a stable readership.

• 500,000+ views on Substack
• 10,095 subscribers across 136 countries and all 50 U.S. states
• 1 million+ Instagram views in recent months

Growth has been consistent and reader retention remains strong.

Bel Arabi: Where Hard Topics Get Time

Bel Arabi continued to reach audiences through long-form discussions that are often absent from mainstream Arabic media.

This last quarter:

• Episodes on Iran and Al-Qaeda reached 6 million views
• Podcasts on Syrian federalism and nuclear negotiations drew 3.1 million listeners
  

These were extended conversations, not short clips. Engagement reflected that.

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Q4 closed with fewer open questions than it began with. Some programs expanded. Others proved durable under pressure.

We’ll continue sharing updates as this work moves forward.