Islamist movements continue to hold a significant position in the political and social map of the Arab countries. Coming to the attention of the West for the first time with the Iranian Revolution, these movements have increased their power over time and become a major force in the region. Rather than being monolithic, Islamist movements include a wide range of groups from small militant organisations to larger political parties that enter elections and continue their existence by democratic means. What unites these movements is their desire to form an Islamic state based on the rule of Shari'ah, the revealed law of Islam. The main aim of this paper is to look at the Islamist movements of the Arab states in the Middle East and North Africa and try to analyse the factors that contribute to the Islamist phenomena in the region.