This study uses a mixed-methods approach to analyze the funding acknowledgments found in 2.3 million scientific publications published between 2008 and 2021 by authors affiliated with research institutions located in Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) countries. The aim is to identify the major funders and their contribution to national scientific publications but also to better understand the funding mechanism in relation to collaboration and publication. Publication data from the Web of Science is examined to provide key insights about funding activities. Saudi Arabia and Qatar lead the region with about half of their publications of funding sources but also because most countries in MENA show strong linkages with foreign agencies which are mainly due to a high level of international collaborations. The distinction between domestic and international publications reveals some differences in terms of funding structures. For instance, Turkey and Iran are dominated by one or two major funders whereas Saudi Arabia is an example of countries with multiple funders. Iran and Kuwait are examples of countries where research is mainly funded by domestic agencies. The government and academic sectors mainly fund scientific research in MENA whereas the industry sector plays little or no role in terms of research funding. Lastly, the qualitative analyses provide more context into the complex funding mechanism. The findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of the funding structure in MENA countries and provide insights to funders and research managers to evaluate the funding landscape.

翻译：本研究采用混合方法，分析了2008年至2021年间发表在中东与北非（MENA）地区研究机构的230万篇科学出版物中的基金致谢信息。研究目标不仅在于识别主要资助方及其对国家科学出版物的贡献，还在于更深入地理解资金机制与学术合作及出版活动之间的关联。通过对Web of Science出版数据的分析，本研究提供了关于资助活动的关键见解。沙特阿拉伯和卡塔尔在该地区处于领先地位，其约半数出版物标注了资金来源，同时MENA地区大部分国家显示出与外国机构的紧密联系，这主要源于高水平的国际科研合作。国内与国际出版物的区分揭示了资助结构方面的差异。例如，土耳其和伊朗的资助格局由一两个主要资助方主导，而沙特阿拉伯则是多元资助方的典型案例；伊朗和科威特的研究经费主要依赖国内机构。MENA地区的科研资助主要来自政府和学术部门，而工业部门在科研资助中作用甚微或完全缺失。最后，定性分析进一步揭示了复杂资助机制的多重背景因素。本研究结论有助于深入理解MENA国家的资助结构，并为资助方和科研管理者评估资助生态提供了参考依据。