Prof. Dr. Haytham Eloqayli

I often find myself in conversations with some officials, and to be fair, I see that many of their ideas have real value and carry a positive national impact. However, I also notice a common shortcoming: the absence of a social dimension. By this, I mean a lack of consideration for cultural influences and societal pressures, as well as the failure to build a compelling narrative or engage in social communication and marketing that could generate public support and momentum behind these otherwise positive policies and initiatives.

Over the past fifteen years, we have seen successive governments and political leaderships compelled to appease public sentiment—even at the expense of distinctive and high-quality projects or policies. In my view, this is not entirely negative. Given the region’s instability, fostering national unity and social cohesion is a strategic necessity in the face of looming external threats and agendas.

This experience teaches us a crucial lesson: the social dimension in policymaking in our region is inevitable. Any ideas, policies, or decisions that fail to take this into account will inevitably face populist demands—often unsustainable—and an escalation of public expectations during times of crisis. This in turn leads to the abandonment or weakening of many promising initiatives that could have thrived in a more stable or Western environment, where external threats are not constantly pressing against the nation’s borders.

As I have stated in previous articles, I remain convinced that a trust gap persists between the public on one hand, and institutions and decision-makers on the other. This gap is continually fueled by ideological currents and foreign-directed media. It is, therefore, the responsibility of governments and officials to bridge this divide. Nature abhors a vacuum, and during crises, public sentiment and social perception can force policymakers into decisions that may undermine long-term excellence and strategic planning.

To mitigate this, there must be both direct and indirect communication mechanisms to explain the narratives, rationale, and benefits behind policies and decisions—so that citizens feel included in the process.

Another key point: There is often a disconnect between what citizens want and what many policies actually provide. In a region governed by history, emotion, and crisis, public satisfaction cannot be ignored. Many policies take years to yield tangible results, while the public often judges based on short-term impact. In the gap between short-term needs and long-term benefits, opposing movements seize the opportunity to distort official narratives and fuel public frustration and mistrust toward governments and officials.

I continue to advocate for the establishment of a Ministry of State for Social Communication, whose mandate would be to build narratives for each policy and promote them socially—particularly among the youth through alternative media, and among the wider public through structured engagements with community and academic leaders. Such a body would also provide decision-makers with data-driven insights to help increase public satisfaction with various policies and proposals.

One illustrative example of the importance of the social dimension is healthcare spending in Jordan. While spending levels are objectively excellent, they do not translate into the expected levels of public satisfaction. As I argued in a previous article, this is because there is a mismatch between what citizens need and want, and what officials perceive as important. The public judges healthcare quality based on their experiences in high-contact, urgent care settings—like cardiac emergencies, trauma, and pediatric ERs. Meanwhile, policymakers often base health strategies on Western or Gulf models, focusing on areas considered “cold” cases in medical terms, such as outpatient clinics, prescription services, and digital medical records. While these reforms are valuable for long-term improvement, they fail to resonate emotionally with citizens who struggle to find immediate help for urgent conditions like heart attacks or neurosurgical emergencies. As a result, such reforms may improve systemic quality, but they lack the social momentum and public endorsement needed to sustain them.

This is not intended as criticism. I believe bold, quality-driven policies are vital and impactful. However, having studied cultural, social, and economic transitions for years, I am increasingly convinced of the crucial role of narratives and communication in bridging the gap between decision-makers and the public. Without this, society remains vulnerable to external forces that seek to distort national narratives, exploit daily hardships, and widen the trust gap between citizens and institutions.