This chapter provides the conceptual and theoretical foundation for the book Governance Without Government in the MENA Region, focusing on the evolving governance landscapes in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. It introduces key frameworks such as hybrid governance, non-state actor (NSA) legitimacy, and "governance without government," offering a lens to understand authority beyond the state in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and parts of Africa. Through a detailed analysis of historical, socio-political, and institutional transformations—especially in the wake of the Arab Spring—the chapter argues for a multidimensional approach to governance. It explores how non-state actors, including armed groups, civil society organizations, think tanks, and tribal networks, negotiate authority, deliver services, and influence policy in contested spaces. The chapter advances the notion of governscapes and introduces a novel legitimacy framework comprising rightful occupancy, basic justice, and collective self-determination. By bridging empirical case studies with theoretical innovations, this foundational chapter sets the stage for understanding governance as a pluralistic, adaptive, and negotiated process in the absence or fragmentation of formal state structures.