Annual Gala Awards Dinner & Arab-U.S.
Policymakers Conference 2024

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

• 8:00 – 8:45 A.M. — Registration, Networking, and Coffee/Tea
• 8:45 – 9:00 A.M. — Welcome & Introductions
  • Speakers: Mr. H. Delano Roosevelt, President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations
  • Mr. John E. Pratt, Chariman, Board of Directors, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations
  • Ms. Allyson McKithen, Vice President, International Programs, TCMA, Ronald Reagan International Trade Building
• 9:00 – 10:00 A.M. — Global Outlook: What’s Next for the U.S., Arab Region, and the World?
  • Moderator: Mr. Chris Whipple
  • Speakers: Dr. Abderrahim Foukara, Ms. Judith Miller, Mr. Charles Glass
• 10:00 – 10:45 A.M. — The Future of Education in the Arab World
  • Introduction: Mr. H. Delano Roosevelt, President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations
  • Opening Speaker: HRH Prince Abdulaziz Bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Chairman, Arab Gulf Programme for Development-AGFUND
  • Moderator: Dr. Fadi Hilani, Senior Academic and Research Fellow-in-Residence
  • Speakers: Dr. Mohammed Zakari,President, Arab Open University
  • Mr. Ghassan Hitto, Co-Founder, Chairman, and President of the Syrian Forum
• 10:45 – 11:30 A.M. — Future Challenges to Global Health
  • Moderator: Dr. Jay A. Levy, Professor in Residence, Department of Medicine; University of California, San Francisco
  • Speaker: Dr. Laurie Garrett, Journalist and Author; Polk, Peabody, and Pulitzer Prize Awardee; Former Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
• 11:30 – 12:45 P.M. — Regional Dynamics and the United States, Part I
  • Moderator: Col. Abbas Dahouk, Board Member, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations; Principal, Hyphen Point LLC
  • Speakers: Mr. Timothy A. Lenderking, U.S. Special Envoy to Yemen, U.S. Dept. of State
  • H.E. Cheikh Samy Gemayel, Member of the Parliament, Republic of Lebanon
  • Ms. Nada al Hajjri, President, Yemen Information Center; Managing Director, Alternative Tracks Consulting
  • Ms. Shukriya Bradost, Non-Resident Scholar, Middle East Institute
• 12:45 – 1:15 P.M. — Networking Opportunity
  Note to All Guests – Please clear room and proceed to Atrium Hall so conference staff can set ballroom for luncheon. This time is set aside for networking and personal conversations.
• 1:15 – 2:45 P.M. — Luncheon Keynote Remarks
  • Luncheon Keynote Speakers: HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal, Chairman, King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Former Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and to the United States; Former Director General, General Intelligence Directorate, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  • H.E. Mohammed Abou El Enein, Deputy Speaker of the Egyptian Parliament; Cleopatra Group Chairman and Founder; Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean Honorary President
  • Presentation of the National Council on U.S. – Arab Relations, Lifetime Achievement Award to Mr. Leo A. Daly III, FAIA, RIBA, FRAIA, Chairman, LEO A DALY: In recognition of Mr. Daly’s continuous commitment to foster international relations throughout his 60-year architecture career.
    Award to be presented by Mr. H. Delano Roosevelt and accepted by Mr. Edward G. Benes, PE, JD, Chief Executive Officer, LEO A. DALY.
• 2:45 – 3:00 P.M. — Challenges for the Next Administration in North Africa
  • Speaker: Dr. William Lawrence, Director of the North Africa Area Studies and Senior Academic Fellow National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations
• 3:00 – 3:30 P.M. — TBA
• 3:30- 4:30 P.M. — Regional Dynamics and the United States Part II
  • Moderator: Dr. Thomas Mattair, Middle East Historian and Scholar; Former Executive Director of the Middle East Policy Council
  • Speakers: Ambassador (Ret.) James Jeffery, Chair, Middle East Program, Slater Family Distinguished Fellow, Wilson Center
  • Dr. Hussein Ibish, Senior Resident Scholar, Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington
  • The Right Honorable Dr. Mona Makram Ebeid, Distinguished Lecturer, American University in Cairo; Former Member of Parliament and Senator, Egypt
• 4:30 – 5:30 P.M. — One-on-one Conversation with General David Petraeus (U.S. Army Ret.)
  • Moderator: Ms. Raghida Dergham, Founder and Executive Chairman, Beirut Institute Columnist, Annahar Al Arabi and The National
  • Speaker: General David Petraeus (U.S. Army Ret.), Partner, KKR, Chairman, KKR Global Institute
• 5:30 – 6:20 P.M. — Screening of “Confessions From A War” a documentary film about the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990) and lessons about reconciliation
  • Speaker: Mr. Jerome Gary, Producer, “Confessions From A War”, Chairman, Visionaire Media & the MENA Media Fund
• 6:20 – 6:30 P.M. — Conference Closing Remarks
  • Speaker: Mr. H. Delano Roosevelt, President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations