In the latter half of 2011, we've witnessed the economic and political aftermath of the spring's revolutions, which have highlighted both the possibilities for citizen empowerment in the region and the slow process involved in actualizing ideals.

For entrepreneurs, this era has combined newfound optimism with new levels of pressure to generate jobs and boost economic growth in the coming few years. Fortunately, newly-launched accelerators and funding vehicles are rising to the occasion as policymakers also push to make it easier to create small businesses, one step at a time.

A few notable trends that we followed were the rise of mobile apps designed to assist voters during the Egyptian protests and elections, the power that Steve Jobs had as a beacon for innovation, the rise of gaming in the region, the emergence of video-on-demand channels, and the growing ties between the Turkish market and the Middle East and North Africa, all of which lead back to everyday stories of what it takes to build a successful venture in the Arab World.

For an overview of what you may have missed out on this year, check out our 10 most popular articles of 2011. 

1. Lebanese Wharton Students Create a New Way to Connect with Friends

2. Elie Khoury's Four Tips for Global Success 

3. 25 Tweetable Startup Tips from Steve Jobs

4. Top 10 Accelerators in the Middle East and North Africa

5. How Syrian is Steve Jobs? 

6. Get MBA Skills for Free Playing MIT’s New Online Game

7. Brokering a New Deal with Old Media at Istikana

8. Wamda Holiday Guide: Check Out the Top 35 Gadgets for 2011

9. Arrested at a Protest? Egyptian Mobile App Will Notify Your Loved Ones

10. Mixing Twitter with YouTube Never Looked So Fresh: Meet TwitVid's New Video Social Network