This report examines the ins and outs of providing international assistance to the Arab countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) through the prism of risk management. It provides an evaluation of the original typology of the risks associated with the provision of external support and reveals the main endogenous and exogenous risk factors that determined the specifics of international assistance extended to the MENA countries in the 2010s after the Arab Spring. The report uses statistical data to draw a map of the external assistance provided to the countries in the region, and identifies the main differences in the assessments of the associated risks by the most influential regional and extra-regional actors, including the Russian Federation. The report looks into the key risks complicating the provision of international assistance in the region and offers recommendations on how Russia can better protect its interests in the MENA region through international aid instruments using elements of a risk-based approach.