29th Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference

The Next U.S. Presidency: Implications for the U.S.-Arab Relationship

November 17 - 19, 2020

Broadcast Live Online

• Conference Proceedings
• Watch Conference Videos on YouTube
• Listen to Conference Podcasts on Apple Podcasts and Spotify
• Featured Specialists
• About the Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference

Conference Proceedings:

Jump to a specific session by selecting the session title in the list immediately below, or scroll further down to see the complete listing of sessions and speakers.

Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Full Day 1 Livestream

Welcome and Introductions
Video

Speakers:

Mr. John Pratt – National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Board of Directors Chairman; former Middle East Council of American Chambers of Commerce Chairman.

Dr. John Duke Anthony – National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and Chief Executive Officer; Author, inter alia, of Arab States of the Lower Gulf: People, Politics, Petroleum; Historical and Cultural Dictionary of the Sultanate of Oman and the Emirates of Eastern Arabia; and The United Arab Emirates: Dynamics of State Formation.

Mr. Andrew Gelfuso – Trade Center Management Associates Vice-President; World Trade Center Washington, DC at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center Director.

U.S.-Arab Relations: What Now?
Video
Podcast

Chair:

Mr. Richard Kaplan – former President of CNN-U.S. and MSNBC; award-winning television news producer; Harvard University Lecturer and Fellow.

Speakers:

Mr. Mohammed Alyahya – Al Arabiya English Editor-in-Chief.

Mr. Thomas L. Friedman – New York Times Op-Ed Columnist; Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and commentator.

Ms. Susanne Koelbl – Der Spiegel Military and Foreign Correspondent; Author, Behind the Kingdom's Veil.

Dr. David Ottaway – Woodrow Wilson Center Middle East Fellow; former Washington Post foreign correspondent in the Middle East, Africa, and Southern Europe; Author, inter alia, of A Tale of Four Worlds: the Arab Region After the Uprising.

Mr. David H. Rundell – Author, Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads; former United States Diplomat.

Ms. Barbara Slavin – Atlantic Council Future of Iran Initiative Director; George Washington University Lecturer in International Affairs; Al-Monitor Columnist.

Keynote Remarks by HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal Al-Saud
Video
Podcast

Welcome:

Mr. Leo A. Daly III – LEO A DALY Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Introduction:

Dr. John Duke Anthony

Speaker:

HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Saud – King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies Chairman; former Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United Kingdom and to the United States; former Saudi Arabian General Intelligence Directorate Director General.

Arab-U.S. Relations: A View From Egypt
Video
Podcast

Introduction:

Mr. H. Delano Roosevelt – U.S.-Saudi Business Council President and CEO; National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations International Advisory Board Member.

Speaker:

H.E. Mohamed M. Abou El Enein – Member of the Egyptian Parliament; Cleopatra Group Chairman and Founder; Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean Honorary President; Egyptian-European Business Council President.

Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Full Day 2 Livestream

Keynote Remarks from the Gulf Cooperation Council
Video
Podcast

Introduction:

Dr. John Duke Anthony

Keynote Speaker:

H.E. Dr. Nayef Falah M. Al-Hajraf – Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf Secretary-General; former Kuwait Minister of Finance.

Keynote Remarks from the U.S. Department of State
Video
Podcast

Introduction:

Dr. John Duke Anthony

Keynote Speaker:

Mr. Joey Hood – U.S. Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary; former U.S. Department of State Deputy Chief of Mission in Iraq and in Kuwait.

Geo-Political Dynamics of Arabia and the Gulf
Video
Podcast

Chair:

Dr. Abdullah Baabood – Waseda University (Tokyo, Japan) School of International Liberal Studies Chair for Islamic Area Studies and Visiting Professor; former National University of Singapore Middle East Institute Visiting Professor; former Qatar University Gulf Studies Centre Director; former University of Cambridge (UK) Gulf Research Centre Director.

Speakers:

H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Hassan – Sultanate of Oman Ambassador to the United Nations; former Oman Ministry of Foreign Affairs Acting Undersecretary for Diplomatic Affairs; former Ambassador of Oman to Russia.

Dr. Abdullah Al Shayji – Kuwait University Professor of International Relations and Post Graduate Political Science Program Director; Author, The GCC Crises: The Root Causes, The Mediation Efforts, And the Future of the GCC Alliance.

Dr. John Duke Anthony – National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and Chief Executive Officer; Author, inter alia, of Arab States of the Lower Gulf: People, Politics, Petroleum; Historical and Cultural Dictionary of the Sultanate of Oman and the Emirates of Eastern Arabia; and The United Arab Emirates: Dynamics of State Formation.

Mr. Timothy Lenderking – U.S. Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arabian Gulf Affairs; former U.S. Department of State Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Ambassador (Ret.) Susan L. Ziadeh – Georgetown University Adjunct Professor; former United States Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arabian Peninsula Affairs; former United States Ambassador to Qatar.

Keynote Remarks from the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Washington
Video
Podcast

Introduction:

Dr. John Duke Anthony

Speaker:

HRH Princess Reema Bandar Al Saud – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ambassador to the United States; International Olympic Committee Member.

Thursday, November 19, 2020
Full Day 3 Livestream

Keynote Remarks from U.S. Central Command
Video
Podcast

Introduction:

H.E. Dina Kawar – Ambassador of Jordan to the United States; former Jordan Ambassador to the United Nations.

Speakers:

General Kenneth F. McKenzie, Jr. – United States Central Command Commander; former U.S. Department of Defense Joint Staff Director.

U.S.-Arab Defense Cooperation Dynamics
Video
Podcast

Chair & Speaker:

Colonel (Ret.) Abbas K. Dahouk – former U.S. Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Senior Military Advisor; former Embassy of the United States in Saudi Arabia Defense and Army Attaché; HyphenPoint LLC President; National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Board of Directors Member.

Additional Speakers:

Dr. Cinzia Bianco – European Council on Foreign Relations Visiting Fellow; former European Commission Sharaka Project Research Fellow.

Dr. Anthony H. Cordesman – Center for Strategic and International Studies Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy; Consultant to the U.S. State Department, Defense Department, and intelligence community; former Office of the Secretary of Defense Director of Intelligence Assessment.

Ms. Kirsten Fontenrose – Atlantic Council Middle East Programs Director of Regional Security; former White House National Security Council Senior Director for Gulf Affairs.

Commentator:

Mr. Joshua Yaphe – National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Scholar-in-Residence; U.S. Department of State Bureau of Intelligence and Research Arabian Peninsula Analyst.

Keynote Remarks from the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh
Video
Podcast

Introduction:

Dr. John Duke Anthony

Speaker:

Ambassador John Abizaid – United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia; former United States Central Command Commander.

Keynote Discussion with General (Ret.) David Petraeus
Video
Podcast

Moderator:

Ms. Raghida Dergham – Beirut Institute Founder and Executive Chairman; The National Columnist; National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations International Advisory Board Member.

Discussant:

General (Ret.) David Petraeus – KKR Partner and KKR Global Institute Chairman; former United States Central Intelligence Agency Director; former United States Central Command Commander; National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations International Advisory Board Member.

Conference Moderator, Context Provider, Facilitator, and Speaker:

Dr. John Duke Anthony National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO; Knighted by Moroccan King Muhammad VI, bestowing upon him Morocco's Highest Award for Excellence; former U.S. Department of State Near East and North Africa Area and Country Studies Program Chairman; former U.S. Department of State Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy and its Subcommittee on Sanctions Member; author of numerous publications pertaining to American interests and involvement in the Arab region, the Middle East, and the Islamic world.

Featured Specialists Include:

HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Saud King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies Chairman; Former Saudi Arabia Ambassador to the United Kingdom and to the United States; Former Saudi Arabia General Intelligence Directorate Director General

H.E. Dr. Nayef Falah M. Al-Hajraf Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf Secretary-General; Former Kuwait Minister of Finance

HRH Princess Reema Bandar Al Saud Saudi Arabia Ambassador to the United States; International Olympic Committee Member

Mr. Thomas L. Friedman New York Times Op-Ed Columnist; Pulitzer Prize-winning Reporter and Commentator

Ms. Raghida Dergham Beirut Institute Founder and Executive Chairman; The National Columnist; National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations International Advisory Board Member

General Kenneth F. McKenzie, Jr. United States Central Command Commander; Former United States Department of Defense Joint Staff Director

Ms. Kirsten Fontenrose Atlantic Council Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative Director; Former White House National Security Council Senior Director for Gulf Affairs

Ambassador John Abizaid United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia; Former United States Central Command Commander

H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Hassan Oman Ambassador to the United Nations; Former Oman Ministry of Foreign Affairs Acting Undersecretary for Diplomatic Affairs; Former Ambassador of Oman to Russia

General (Ret.) David Petraeus KKR Partner and KKR Global Institute Chairman; Former United States Central Intelligence Agency Director; Former United States Central Command Commander; National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations International Advisory Board Member

H.E. Mohamed M. Abou El Enein Member of the Egyptian Parliament; Cleopatra Group Chairman and Founder; Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean Honorary President; Egyptian-European Business Council President

Mr. Leo A. Daly III LEO A DALY Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Joey Hood U.S. Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary; Former U.S. Department of State Deputy Chief of Mission in Iraq and in Kuwait

H.E. Dina Kawar Ambassador of Jordan to the United States; Former Jordan Ambassador to the United Nations

Mr. Timothy Lenderking U.S. Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arabian Gulf Affairs; Former U.S. Department of State Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Mr. Richard Kaplan Former President of CNN-U.S. and MSNBC; Award-winning television news producer; Harvard University Lecturer and Fellow

Ambassador (Ret.) Susan Ziadeh Georgetown University Adjunct Professor; Former United States Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arabian Peninsula Affairs; Former United States Ambassador to Qatar

Dr. Anthony H. Cordesman Center for Strategic and International Studies Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy; Consultant to the United States Department of State, Department of Defense, and intelligence community

Mr. H. Delano Roosevelt U.S.-Saudi Business Council President and CEO; National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations International Advisory Board Member

Ms. Susanne Koelbl Der Spiegel Military and Foreign Correspondent; Author, Behind the Kingdom's Veil

Colonel (Ret.) Abbas K. Dahouk Former United States Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Senior Military Advisor; Former Embassy of the United States in Saudi Arabia Defense and Army Attaché; HyphenPoint LLC President; National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Board of Directors Member

Mr. Mohammed Alyahya Al Arabiya English Editor-in-Chief

Dr. Cinzia Bianco European Council on Foreign Relations Visiting Fellow; Former European Commission Sharaka Project Research Fellow

Dr. Abdullah Al Shayji Kuwait University Professor of International Relations and Post Graduate Political Science Program Director; Author, The GCC Crises: The Root Causes, The Mediation Efforts, And the Future of the GCC Alliance

Ms. Barbara Slavin Atlantic Council Future of Iran Initiative Director; George Washington University Lecturer in International Affairs; Al-Monitor Columnist

Dr. David Ottaway Woodrow Wilson Center Middle East Fellow; Former Washington Post foreign correspondent in the Middle East, Africa, and Southern Europe

Dr. Abdullah Baabood Waseda University (Tokyo, Japan) Visiting Professor; Former National University of Singapore Middle East Institute Visiting Professor

Mr. Joshua Yaphe National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Scholar-in-Residence

Mr. Andrew Gelfuso Trade Center Management Associates Vice-President; World Trade Center Washington, DC at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center Director

Mr. David H. Rundell Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads Author; Former United States Diplomat

Performances By:

Ms. Nidal Ibourk Ms. Nidal Ibourk is a singer, scholar, and multi-talented artist with a mastery of Arab classical music. She has performed at distinguished venues around the world, and collaborated with a range of artists including violin and oud master Simon Shaheen. In addition to her talents as a singer, she is known for her artistic commitment to promoting Arab cultural heritage through her song selections, presentation, and stage presence. Born in Rabat, Mococco, Ms. Ibourk moved to the United States in 2006 to pursue postgraduate studies at Kent State University. She has subsequently earned several degrees while cultivating her career as an artist. Beyond singing and her professional work in human resources development, she is an active speaker at schools and community programs where she can share her passion for Arab culture and music.