Australian Regional Leadership Initiative visits to the Middle East & Africa

Explore Australian aid and development in the Middle East & Africa

ARLI learning tours of Australian aid and development programs in the Middle East and Africa have visited Jordan and Lebanon (2017, 2019) and Kenya (2022, 2026). Discover how Australia’s development program is playing a key role. Find out more about the development context in these countries and the important role of Australia’s Official Development Assistance.

Kenya

Snapshot

Kenya, located in East Africa, has a population of approximately 55 million and a GDP of AUD$175 billion. It gained independence from Britain in 1963. Australia partners with Kenya to support health, agriculture and resilience-building initiatives. Learn more through our Kenya Briefing Book, DFAT’s Kenya Trade and Economic Factsheet and AusDevPortal summary of investment in Kenya

Deep Dive

Learn about the development context in Kenya:

1. Australian Humanitarian Partnership’s Activations on Food Security and Livelihoods in Ethiopia and Kenya (Policy Research Institute, 2024) evaluates three food security and livelihoods projects.
2. World Vision’s ENOUGH Campaign to End Child Hunger (2024) discusses the prevalence of, and response to, food insecurity in Kenya.

For regional analysis, read the final review of the Australia Africa Community Engagement Scheme. Australia’s strategic priorities in the region are outlined in the Australian High Commission in Kenya’s Direct Aid Program and Development Cooperation pages.

ARLI Trips

ARLI has undertaken two quite different delegations to Kenya. The 2022 parliamentary delegation visited Australian Government-supported nutrition, eye care, sustainable agriculture and women’s economic empowerment programs.

In 2026, ARLI returned to Kenya with a small group of philanthropists in a pilot funded by the Judith Neilson Foundation. Travelling through Nairobi, Turkana County and Nandi Hills, the delegation visited locally led and scalable initiatives including:

• Food4Education’s Giga Kitchen, which prepares school meals at scale to improve children’s nutrition and participation in education.
• Ruben Centre, an integrated community hub providing education, health, childcare, livelihood and social services in Mukuru.
• Save the Children’s health and nutrition outreach services, which bring essential care to children and families in remote parts of Turkana County.
• Hello Tractor, a digital marketplace connecting smallholder farmers with tractors and other agricultural equipment.

The 2022 parliamentary learning tour was joined by: Senator Claire Chandler, Senator Louise Pratt, Hon Michael McCormack MP, James Stevens MP, Matt Burnell MP, Graham Perrett MP, Tania Lawrence MP and Ellen Whinnett (then political reporter for NewsCorp).
The 2026 philanthropy learning tour was joined by: Brendan O’Brien, Martin Hosking, Peder Pedersen, Simon Freeman, Steve Killelea AM, Upenyu Mawande and Mark Cubit

Jordan

Snapshot

Jordan, situated in the Middle East, has a population of approximately 11.5 million and a GDP estimated at AUD$81 billion. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan gained its independence from the UK in 1946. Australia provides significant humanitarian assistance, particularly supporting refugees hosted in Jordan. Discover more through our Jordan Briefing Book, DFAT’s Jordan Country Brief and AusDevPortal summary of investment in Jordan.

Deep Dive

Delve into detailed analyses on Jordan’s development context:

1. Annual Assessment Report of the Jordan Basic Needs Cash Assistance Programme (UNHCR 2024) provides an in-depth report of this Australian-supported program in Jordan.
2. Medair’s report on Cash and Voucher Assistance for Health (2020) examines the use of cash transfers to improve health access for vulnerable populations in Jordan between 2017-2019.

For further analysis, consult the OECD’s Public Governance Review: Jordan (2024) focusing on institutional effectiveness and transparency. Australia’s thematic priorities are outlined in the Australian Embassy for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan’s Direct Aid Program and Development Cooperation pages.

ARLI Trips

The 2017 and 2019 ARLI visits to Jordan offered insights into key programs:

1. Save the Children Jordan’s early learning initiatives, like the Sunshine Kindergarten, supporting child development for refugees and host communities. 
2. Oxfam’s Livelihoods Project: increasing livelihood opportunities and providing skills development to refugees.

Lebanon

Snapshot

Lebanon, located in the Middle East, has a population of approximately 5.5 million and a GDP of around AUD$34 billion. The country gained independence from France in 1943. Australia supports Lebanon through humanitarian aid, focusing on education, protection, and economic resilience. Learn more through our Lebanon Aid Briefing, DFAT’s Lebanon Country Brief and AusDevPortal summary of investment in Lebanon.

Deep Dive

Explore critical insights on Lebanon’s development landscape:

1. Diaspora Humanitarians Lebanon Briefing (ANU Migration Hub 2024) includes analysis of the development context in Lebanon and the humanitarian efforts of Australia-based migrants from Lebanon.
2. Consolidated Appeal Lebanon (ACFID 2024) outlines Australian NGO responses to the conflict and economic collapse in Lebanon. 

See Save the Children’s media release on Lebanon for information on the humanitarian condition for children in Lebanon. Detailed analysis and overview of the bilateral relationship are covered in DFAT’s Country Information Report for Lebanon 2023.

ARLI Trips

The 2017 and 2019 ARLI trips to Lebanon highlighted key initiatives:

• Caritas’ Protection Program, offering safe spaces and legal aid for survivors of gender-based violence.
• The World Food Programme’s work to provide food and protect vulnerable groups from the risk of malnutrition. 

The learning tours of Jordan and Lebanon were joined by: Tim Hammond, Kimberley Kitching, Senator the Hon Jenny McAllister, Tim Wilson MP, Senator Nick McKim, Derryn Hinch, Ashlynne McGhee, Ameet Bains, John Dickson, Dr Erin Watson, Deidre Willmott, Tim McColl Jones, Meshel Laurie and Jonathan Pearlman.