The contribution of Arab universities to the public good is being greatly compromised by the political and economic instability of the Arab Spring. To understand the role Arabian universities are playing in the public sphere and their ability to contribute to the public good, we interviewed 74 professors from 14 countries. Analysis of the faculty interviews yielded four major challenges: motivation and rewards for conducting research, security and safety issues, lack of a research infrastructure, and the challenges of international recognition. Our findings suggest universities should focus on the two most critical issues over which they have some control: securing safety for the faculty and creating an effective research infrastructure.