Arab-U.S. Uncertainties and Constants: What Lies Ahead?
American and Arab Strategies, Analyses, and Policy Prescriptions for Daunting Economic, Defense, and Political Challenges and Realities
November 2-3, 2022
- Videos of Speakers and Sessions
- Listen to Conference Podcasts on Apple Podcasts and Spotify
- HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal Remarks: Transcript, Video
- H.E. Sayyid Badr Albusaidi Remarks: Transcript, Video
- David Petraeus and Raghida Dergham Interview: Video
- Agenda
- About the Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference
Watch the Conference:
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 the Honor of Ouissam Alaouite, 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 Member; Author of numerous publications pertaining to American interests and involvement in the Arab region, the Middle East, and the Islamic world. |
Conference Agenda:
Wednesday, November 2, 2022
8:00 - 9:00 A.M. – Registration, Coffee/Tea, and Networking
9:00 - 9:15 A.M. – Welcome and Introductions
Speakers:
Mr. John Pratt – National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Board of Directors Chairman; former Chairman, Middle East Council of American Chambers of Commerce.
Dr. John Duke Anthony – National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and Chief Executive Officer; Knighted by Moroccan King Muhammad VI, bestowing upon him the Honor of Ouissam Alaouite, Morocco's Highest Award for Excellence; 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.
Ms. Allyson McKithen – Executive Director, World Trade Center, Washington, DC; Vice President of International Programs, Trade Center Management Associates.
9:30 - 11:00 A.M. – Yemen in Focus
I.
Introduction:
Dr. John Duke Anthony
Opening Speaker:
Mr. Timothy Lenderking – U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Yemen; former U.S. Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arabian Peninsula Affairs.
Speaker:
Mr. David Des Roches – U.S. Department of Defense National Defense University Near East/South Asia Center for Strategic Studies Associate Professor; National Council Senior International Affairs Fellow.
II.
Chair:
Mr. Abdulrahman Al-Eryani – Professional international development specialist; former Principal Economic Officer, Embassy of the Republic of Yemen.
Speakers:
Ms. Sarah Charles – U.S. Agency for International Development Assistant to the Administrator; former White House National Security Council Director; former International Rescue Committee Senior Director for Policy and Advocacy.
Ambassador (Ret.) Christopher Henzel – former United States Ambassador to Yemen (2019-2021); former United States Chargé d'affaires Ad Interim in Saudi Arabia (2017-2019).
Mr. David Des Roches
11:10 - 11:40 A.M. – Egypt in Focus
Introduction:
Mr. H. Delano Roosevelt – National Council International Advisory Board Member.
Speaker:
H.E. Mohamed M. Abou El Enein – Vice President of the Egyptian Parliament; Cleopatra Group Chairman and Founder; Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean Honorary President.
11:50 A.M. - 12:05 P.M. – Presentation of the Distinguished Global Developmental Assistance Award to the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development
Presenter:
Dr. John Duke Anthony
Accepted By:
H.E. Marwan A. Al-Ghanem – Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development Director General.
H.E. Jasem Albudaiwi – State of Kuwait Ambassador to the United States of America.
12:40 - 2:00 P.M. – Lunch and Networking Session
Given the interest in the program, the number of conference participants, and the diversity of backgrounds and interests represented among the attendees, this time is set aside for eating, networking, and personal conversations.
A buffet lunch will be available for all attendees directly outside of the Amphitheater.
2:00 - 3:00 P.M. – Discussion with General (Ret.) David Petraeus
Moderator:
Ms. Raghida Dergham – Beirut Institute Founder and Executive Chairman; The National Columnist; National Council International Advisory Board Member.
[Appearing Via Live Video]
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 International Advisory Board Member.
[Appearing Via Live Video]
3:15 - 4:30 P.M. – U.S.-Arab Relations Defense Dimensions: Missiles, Proxies, Mines, Drones, and More
Chair: Mr. David Des Roches – U.S. Department of Defense National Defense University Near East/South Asia Center for Strategic Studies Associate Professor; National Council Senior International Affairs Fellow.
Sheikh Nawaf bin Mubarak bin Saif Al-Thani – National Council Distinguished International Defense Affairs Fellow; former Defense Attaché of Qatar to the United States; former Official Spokesperson for Qatar's Ministry of Defense.
Colonel (Ret.) Abbas Dahouk – National Council Board of Directors Member; former Senior Military Advisor to U.S. Department of State; former U.S. Defense and Army Attaché to Saudi Arabia; HyphenPoint LLC Founding Principal.
4:45 - 6:00 P.M. – Energy, Economic, and Business Dynamics in Focus
Chair: Mr. Phillip Cornell – Economist Impact Principal for Energy and Sustainability; Atlantic Council Senior Fellow; former Saudi Aramco, International Energy Agency, and World Bank Group Advisor.
Dr. John Sfakianakis – Gulf Research Center Chief Economist and Head of Research; Chatham House Middle East North Africa Program Associate Fellow.
[Appearing Via Live Video]
Dr. Shihab Kuran – Leader of renewable energy projects in Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and elsewhere; Power Edison Founder, President, and CEO.
6:00 - 8:30 P.M. – Reception for Conference Sponsors, Speakers, Attendees, and Special Guests
Conference attendees are invited to attend an evening social reception with hors d'oeuvres and refreshments. It will be held in the foyer of the Amphitheater in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center after the first day's proceedings conclude.
Thursday, November 3, 2022
9:20 - 9:50 A.M. – Arab North Africa in Focus – Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia: A Major or Lessor Priority? Either Way, Why?
Introduction:
Dr. John Duke Anthony – National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and Chief Executive Officer; Knighted by Moroccan King Muhammad VI, bestowing upon him the Honor of Ouissam Alaouite, Morocco's Highest Award for Excellence; 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.
Speaker:
Dr. William Lawrence – Arab North Africa specialist and former diplomat; American University School of International Service Professor; National Council International Advisory Board Member.
9:50 - 10:00 A.M. – Remarks from the League of Arab States
Speaker:
H.E. Dr. Khaled bin Mohamed Al-Manzlawiy – League of Arab States Assistant Secretary General for International Political Affairs; former Deputy Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations and Vice Chairman of the UN Committee on Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Affairs.
[Appearing Via Recorded Video]
10:05 - 10:25 A.M. – Remarks from the Gulf Cooperation Council
Introduction:
Dr. John Duke Anthony
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.
[Appearing Via Live Video]
10:30 - 10:45 A.M. – Bahrain in Focus
Introduction:
Dr. John Duke Anthony
Speaker:
H.E. Shaikh Abdulla Bin Rashid Al Khalifa – Kingdom of Bahrain Ambassador to the United States.
10:45 - 11:30 A.M. – Geopolitical Dynamics of Arabia and the Gulf
Introduction:
Dr. John Duke Anthony
Chair:
Dr. Kenneth Katzman – U.S. Library of Congress Congressional Research Service Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Specialist in Middle East Affairs.
Speakers:
Dr. Abdulaziz Sager – Gulf Research Center Founder and Chairman; National Council International Advisory Board Member.
[Appearing Via Live Video]
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.
[Appearing Via Live Video]
11:35 - 11:50 A.M. – Presentation of the National Council's Global Leadership in Empowering Women Entrepreneurs Award to Goldman Sachs
Accepted By:
Ms. Dina Powell McCormick – Goldman Sachs Global Head of Sovereign Coverage Business; former White House Deputy National Security Advisor.
[Appearing Via Recorded Video]
Ms. Reem Fawzy – Rimo Tours and Pink Taxi CEO.
11:55 A.M. - 12:20 P.M. – Keynote Address by HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal
Introduction:
Dr. John Duke Anthony
Keynote 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.
12:25 - 12:45 P.M. – Keynote Address by H.E. Sayyid Badr Albusaidi
Introduction:
Dr. John Duke Anthony
Speaker:
H.E. Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi – Sultanate of Oman Foreign Minister.
[Appearing Via Recorded Video]
12:50 - 1:20 P.M. – Oman in Focus
Speakers:
Dr. John Duke Anthony
Dr. Zakaria Al Muharrami – Sultan Qaboos University Professor; Author of numerous books and essays on Oman's modernization and development as well as the Sultanate's role in regional and global affairs.
Ambassador (Ret.) Dr. Richard J. Schmierer – former United States Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman (2009-2012); Middle East Policy Council Chairman of the Board of Directors and President.
1:20 - 2:30 P.M. – Lunch and Networking Session
Given the interest in the program, the number of conference participants, and the diversity of backgrounds and interests represented among the attendees, this time is set aside for eating, networking, and personal conversations.
A buffet lunch will be available for all attendees directly outside of the Amphitheater.
2:30 - 3:30 P.M. – Syria and Iraq in Focus
Speakers:
Dr. Andrew Parasiliti – Al-Monitor President and Chief Content Officer; former RAND Center for Global Risk and Security Director.
Ambassador (Ret.) James F. Jeffrey – former U.S. Department of State Special Representative for Syria Engagement (2018-2020) and Special Envoy to the Global Coalition To Defeat ISIS (2019-2020); former United States Ambassador to Iraq (2010-2012) and Turkey (2008-2010).
Dr. Denise Natali – U.S. Department of Defense National Defense University Institute for National Strategic Studies Director; former U.S. Department of State Assistant Secretary for Conflict and Stabilization Operations.
Dr. Abbas Kadhim – Atlantic Council Iraq Initiative Director and Senior Fellow; Author, Reclaiming Iraq: The 1920 Revolution and the Founding of the Modern State.
3:30 - 4:00 P.M. – Lebanon in Focus
Speakers:
Colonel (Ret.) Abbas Dahouk – National Council Board of Directors Member; former Senior Military Advisor to U.S. Department of State; former U.S. Defense and Army Attach´ to Saudi Arabia; HyphenPoint LLC Founding Principal.
Ambassador (Ret.) Edward Gabriel – American Task Force on Lebanon President and CEO; former United States Ambassador to Morocco (1997-2001).
4:00 - 4:30 P.M. – Closing Remarks and Conference Adjournment