Author Archives: NCUSAR

Founded in 1983, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations (NCUSAR) is a non-profit, non-governmental, educational organization dedicated to improving American awareness, knowledge, and understanding of the Arab world.

Energy Trends and Their Implications for the U.S. and Arab Region

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On April 14, 2023, the National Council convened an online briefing program “Peering Over The Horizon: Examining Future Energy Trends And Their Implications For The U.S. And Arab Region.” The discussion examined current and future energy dynamics.

As the structure of energy demand changes, with the importance of fossil fuels predicted to decline in the decades to come, how can energy production and delivery systems incorporate a growing share of renewable energy and manage increased electrification? Will the transition to a low-carbon world require a range of other energy sources and technologies, including low-carbon hydrogen, modern bioenergy, and carbon capture, use, and storage? What factors are most critical in shaping regional and global energy dynamics, and how might they shift in the years ahead? This National Council program explores these questions and more.

 

 

Joining the program were:

Featured Specialists:

  • Dr. Shihab Kuran, Leader of renewable energy projects in Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and elsewhere; Power Edison Founder, President, and CEO
  • 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

Moderator:

  • Mr. Colby Connelly, Energy Intelligence Senior Research Analyst; Middle East Institute Program on Economics and Energy Non-Resident Scholar.

Audio and video recordings of the program are available above and below, and on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and elsewhere.

“Energy Trends and Their Implications for the U.S. and Arab Region” podcast (.mp3)

The Impact of Growing Military and Civil Instability in the Middle East and North Africa Region

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On March 14, 2023, the National Council hosted an online briefing program examining Center for Strategic and International Studies Emeritus Chair in Strategy Dr. Anthony H. Cordesman’s recent report, “The Changing Strategic Importance of the Middle East and North Africa (Volume Two): The Impact of Growing Military and Civil Instability in the MENA Region.” Dr. Cordesman highlighted some of the data in the report, and discussed key issues shaping regional security and stability.

 

 

Joining the program were:

Context Provider:

  • Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO; Author, inter alia, of Arab States of The Lower Gulf: People, Politics, Petroleum.

Featured Specialist:

  • Dr. Anthony H. Cordesman, Center for Strategic and International Studies Emeritus Chair in Strategy; Formerly Served the U.S. Departments of Defense, Energy, and State, and the White House National Security Council

Moderator:

  • Mr. David Des Roches, U.S. Department of Defense National Defense University Near East/South Asia Center for Strategic Studies Associate Professor; National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Senior International Affairs Fellow.

Audio and video recordings of the program are available above and below, and on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and elsewhere.

“The Impact of Growing Military and Civil Instability in the Middle East and North Africa Region” podcast (.mp3)

National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Fellow Nawaf Al-Thani Visits the Virginia Military Institute

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Last month, National Council Distinguished International Defense Affairs Fellow Sheikh Nawaf Al-Thani visited the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia (VMI), with a delegation of Council leaders. During the visit, Sheikh Nawaf spoke to academy cadets about dynamics of small state security, and he met with VMI faculty, cadets, and leadership. Joining Sheikh Nawaf in the Council delegation were Council Founding President and CEO Dr. John Duke Anthony, who has a long association with VMI; Board Member Colonel (Ret.) Abbas Dahouk, a former Senior U.S. Department of Defense official serving in the GCC region; together with Council Executive Vice President Patrick Mancino.

(Left) National Council Distinguished International Defense Affairs Fellow Sheikh Nawaf Al-Thani with Virginia Military Institute Superintendent Retired Major General Cedric Wins. (Right) Sheikh Nawaf Al-Thani speaks to VMI cadets about small state security dynamics.

Sheikh Nawaf is the former Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché of Qatar to the United States, Mexico, and Canada in the rank of Brigadier General as well as the former Official Spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Defense. In recognition of his service, he has received numerous distinguished commendations and citations from the Qatar Armed Forces along with several NATO militaries and multinational organizations. Sheikh Nawaf joined the National Council as a Fellow last fall and was a featured speaker at the Council’s 31st Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference.

(Left to Right) National Council Founding President and CEO Dr. John Duke Anthony, Distinguished International Defense Affairs Fellow Sheikh Nawaf Al-Thani, and Board Member Abbas Dahouk meet with Virginia Military Institute leadership in Lexington, Virginia.

Dr. Anthony is a 1962 graduate of VMI where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in History. He attended on a four-year, all-expenses State Cadetship Award after the completion of his U.S. Army active duty military service. At VMI, Dr. Anthony was elected president of his class all four years in addition to serving as president of the Corps of Cadets’ governing bodies during his First Class (Senior) Year. In 2012, he served as Dean’s Visiting Chair in International Studies and Political Science, where he taught VMI’s first-ever course on “Politics of the Arabian Peninsula.”

Weathering Chinese and Russian Competition in Arabia and the Gulf: Implications for United States Interests, Policies, and Strategy

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On March 8, 2023, the National Council convened an online briefing program on “Weathering Chinese and Russian Competition in Arabia and the Gulf: Implications for United States Interests, Policies, and Strategy.” The program explored implications for the region and the United States of evolving relationships between Russia, China, and countries in Arabia and the Gulf. The specialists examined how shifting strategic dynamics can be viewed through different sets of lenses.

 

 

Joining the program were:

Context Provider:

  • Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO; Author, inter alia, of Arab States of The Lower Gulf: People, Politics, Petroleum.

Featured Specialists:

  • Mr. David H. Rundell, Author of Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads, Former Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in Saudi Arabia, and National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations International Advisory Board Member.
  • Ambassador (Ret.) Michael Gfoeller, Former United States Diplomat, and Consultant on Foreign Affairs and International Security.

Moderator:

  • Colonel (Ret.) Abbas K. Dahouk, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Board of Directors Member; Former U.S. Department of State Senior Military Advisor; Former U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia Defense and Army Attache; HyphenPoint LLC President.

Audio and video recordings of the program are available above and below, and on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and elsewhere.

“Weathering Chinese and Russian Competition in Arabia and the Gulf: Implications for United States Interests, Policies, and Strategy” podcast (.mp3)

National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Fellow Nawaf Al-Thani Visits West Point

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In early February, National Council Distinguished International Defense Affairs Fellow Sheikh Nawaf Al-Thani visited the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York (USMA at West Point), with a delegation of Council leaders. During the visit, Sheikh Nawaf met with academy cadets, faculty, and leaders and also spoke to a class of cadets. Joining Sheikh Nawaf in the Council delegation were Board Member Colonel (Ret.) Abbas Dahouk, a former West Point foreign language instructor and a former Senior U.S. Department of Defense official serving in the GCC region; Senior International Affairs Fellow Colonel (Ret.) David Des Roches, a member of the USMA West Point Class of 1986 and currently a Professor at the U.S. National Defense University; together with Council Executive Vice President Patrick Mancino.

While visiting the United States Military Academy at West Point, National Council Distinguished International Defense Affairs Fellow Sheikh Nawaf Al-Thani met with academy leaders including the Dean of the Academic Board Brigadier General Shane Reeves.

Sheikh Nawaf is the former Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché of Qatar to the United States, Mexico, and Canada in the rank of Brigadier General as well as the former Official Spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Defense. In recognition of his service, he has received numerous distinguished commendations and citations from the Qatar Armed Forces along with several NATO militaries and multinational organizations. Sheikh Nawaf joined the National Council as a Fellow last fall and was a featured speaker at the Council’s 31st Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference.

(Left) National Council Distinguished International Defense Affairs Fellow Sheikh Nawaf Al-Thani and the Council’s delegation met with select West Point cadets, including a cadet from Qatar. (Right) Sheikh Nawaf Al-Thani addresses a class of West Point cadets.

The Strategic Importance of the Middle East and North Africa: The Strengths and Limits of Oil and Gas Wealth, and the Challenge of Climate Change

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On February 23, 2023, the National Council hosted an online briefing program examining Center for Strategic and International Studies Emeritus Chair in Strategy Dr. Anthony H. Cordesman’s recent report, “The Strategic Importance of the Middle East and North Africa: The Strengths and Limits of MENA Oil and Gas Wealth and the Challenge of Climate Change.” Dr. Cordesman highlighted some of the data in the report and discussed how geopolitical dynamics are shaping the region.

 

 

Joining the program were:

Featured Specialist:

  • Dr. Anthony H. Cordesman, Center for Strategic and International Studies Emeritus Chair in Strategy; Formerly Served the U.S. Departments of Defense, Energy, and State, and the White House National Security Council

Moderator:

  • Mr. David Des Roches, U.S. Department of Defense National Defense University Near East/South Asia Center for Strategic Studies Associate Professor; National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Senior International Affairs Fellow.

Welcome:

  • Mr. Patrick Mancino, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Executive Vice President and Director of Development.

Audio and video recordings of the program are available above and below, and on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and elsewhere.

“The Strategic Importance of the Middle East and North Africa: The Strengths and Limits of Oil and Gas Wealth, and the Challenge of Climate Change” podcast (.mp3)

Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League Spring 2023 Conferences

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A listing of Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League Spring 2023 Conferences is available on the program’s website.

Egyptian Business and Parliamentary Leader Mohamed Abou El Enein Joins National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations International Advisory Board

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Washington, D.C.: The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations is pleased to announce that Egyptian business and parliamentary leader His Excellency Mohamed M. Abou El Enein has joined the National Council’s International Advisory Board. The Board provides strategic support to the Council’s Board of Directors together with its Founding President and Chief Executive Officer.

In announcing the appointment, National Council Founding President and CEO Dr. John Duke Anthony remarked, “We are honored that His Excellency Mohamed Abou El Enein has accepted our invitation to join the Council’s Advisory Board. The diversity of his successful endeavors in the commercial, public service, and philanthropic sectors serve as a testament to his future-focused analytical abilities. His Excellency is an accomplished ‘bridge builder’ who has advanced Egypt’s relationships and cooperation efforts in Africa, Europe, the United States, and beyond. He will be an extraordinarily valuable advisor and strategic conceptualizer as we work to continuously improve, strengthen, and expand the Council’s U.S.-Arab relations leadership development and cross-cultural educational efforts.”

man in suit speaks into a microphone at a podium

H.E. Mohamed M. Abou El Enein, Vice President of the Egyptian Parliament, Cleopatra Group Chairman and Founder, and Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean Honorary President, has been a featured keynote speaker at several of the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations’ Annual Policymakers Conferences in Washington, D.C.

His Excellency Mohamed Abou El Enein is a businessperson, investor, and public servant. He has served in the Egyptian Parliament since 1995 and is currently the legislature’s Vice President. He previously served as Chairman of the Housing, Public Utilities, and Construction Committee from 2000 to 2005 and Chairman of the Industry and Energy Committee from 2005 to 2011. A dedicated philanthropist, His Excellency’s charitable foundation works to improve literacy, social development, and health services in Egypt.

As the Founder and Chairman of the Cleopatra Group, one of the largest investment companies in Egypt, His Excellency has led projects and commercial ventures throughout the country. His brand Ceramica Cleopatra is one of the world’s largest producers of ceramics, porcelain, and sanitary ware, and its products are exported to over 100 countries. The Cleopatra Group also has ventures in agriculture, mining, real estate, tourism, media, technology, and aviation.

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