As English is today's lingua franca, ESP is a flourishing domain of English language teaching and learning for learners seeking to enhance their professional or academic performance in a specific target situation. This review aims to classify research tendencies in the MENA region through topical themes explored in two major journals of ESP, "English for Specific Purposes" and "Journal of English for Academic Purposes." The study's significance lies in shedding light on the evolving landscape of ESP research in the region, a crucial endeavor given the growing importance of English as a lingua franca in professional and academic contexts. To reach this objective, 26 papers published between 2019 and 2024 were selected based on the authors' institutional affiliation. Scholars from Algeria, Iran, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and the UAE authored the selected research papers. The results of this review revealed a major interest in researching target-situation linguistic analysis and pedagogical implications.