Category Archives: US-Arab Relations

Bahrain in Focus w/ Amb. Abdulla Bin Rashid Al Khalifa [2022 Arab-US Policymakers Conference]

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The 31st Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference, Arab-U.S. Uncertainties: What Lies Ahead?, convened at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., on November 2-3, 2022. These are some of the conference proceedings.

 

 
“Bahrain in Focus”

Featuring:

H.E. Shaikh Abdulla Bin Rashid Al Khalifa – Kingdom of Bahrain Ambassador to the United States.

The Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference is the signature annual symposium organized and administered by the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations.

Energy, Economic, and Business Dynamics in Focus [2022 Arab-US Policymakers Conference]

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The 31st Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference, Arab-U.S. Uncertainties: What Lies Ahead?, convened at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., on November 2-3, 2022. These are some of the conference proceedings.

 

 
“Energy, Economic, and Business Dynamics in Focus”

Featuring:

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.

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

The Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference is the signature annual symposium organized and administered by the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations.

U.S.-Arab Relations Defense Dimensions [2022 Arab-US Policymakers Conference]

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The 31st Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference, Arab-U.S. Uncertainties: What Lies Ahead?, convened at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., on November 2-3, 2022. These are some of the conference proceedings.

 

 
“U.S.-Arab Relations Defense Dimensions: Missiles, Proxies, Mines, Drones, and More”

Featuring:

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 Attach´ to Saudi Arabia; HyphenPoint LLC Founding Principal.

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.

The Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference is the signature annual symposium organized and administered by the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations.

Remarks from H. Delano Roosevelt [2022 Arab-US Policymakers Conference]

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The 31st Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference, Arab-U.S. Uncertainties: What Lies Ahead?, convened at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., on November 2-3, 2022. These are some of the conference proceedings.

 

 
“Remarks from H. Delano Roosevelt”

Featuring:

Mr. H. Delano Roosevelt – National Council International Advisory Board Member.

The Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference is the signature annual symposium organized and administered by the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations.

Restoring Hope Amid Crisis: Responses to the Economic Collapse in Lebanon

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On October 4, 2022, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations joined with Anera to convene a discussion on “Restoring Hope Amid Crisis: Responses to the Economic Collapse in Lebanon.” The program featured three longtime senior staff from Anera’s team in Lebanon who talked about their work, the current crisis facing the Lebanese people, and how civil society can respond.

 

 

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:

  • Samar El Yassir, Anera Lebanon Country Director
  • Leen Ataya, Anera Lebanon Education Program Manager
  • Lama Ghaddar, Anera Lebanon Program Manager

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

“Restoring Hope Amid Crisis: Responses to the Economic Collapse in Lebanon” podcast (.mp3)

National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Welcomes Kuwait Ambassador H.E. Jasem Albudaiwi to Washington, D.C.

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On August 30, 2022, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations was honored to host a program welcoming H.E. Jasem Albudaiwi, the new Ambassador of Kuwait to the United States, to Washington, D.C. It was attended by representatives from the United States government, private sector, and public policy research organizations as well as fellow diplomats.

H.E. Jasem Albudaiwi, Ambassador of Kuwait to the United States, makes remarks at the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations’ program welcoming His Excellency back to Washington, D.C. National Council Founding President & CEO Dr. John Duke Anthony and Executive Vice President & Director of Development Patrick Mancino look on behind him.

During the program, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Arabian Peninsula Affairs Daniel Benaim, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Ilan Goldenberg, and U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking contributed remarks highlighting the mutual benefits of the U.S.-Kuwait relationship. Council Founding President & CEO Dr. John Duke Anthony served as Context Provider for the event, and provided historical frames of reference for better appreciating the role of Kuwait in regional and global affairs. Ambassador Jasem Albudaiwi gave keynote remarks stressing the importance of the Kuwait-U.S. relationship, and the value of strengthening and expanding bilateral and regional ties to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

At the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations’ program for H.E. Jasem Albudaiwi, the new Ambassador of Kuwait to the United States, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Arabian Peninsula Affairs Daniel Benaim (top right), Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Ilan Goldenberg (top left), U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking (bottom right), and National Council Founding President & CEO Dr. John Duke Anthony (bottom left) contributed remarks highlighting the mutual benefits of the United States-Kuwait relationship.

Evaluating the Impact of President Biden’s Visit to the Middle East

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On July 22, 2022, the National Council convened an online briefing program on “Evaluating the Impact of President Biden’s Visit to the Middle East.” It included Saudi Arabian and U.S. analysts, scholars, and former diplomats who reflected on the recent visit of U.S. President Joe Biden to Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and Saudi Arabia.

 

 

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:

  • Dr. Abdulaziz Sager, Gulf Research Center Founder and Chairman, and National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations International Advisory Board Member.
  • Mr. David H. Rundell, Author of Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads, Former United States Diplomat, 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.

“Evaluating the Impact of President Biden’s Visit to the Middle East” podcast (.mp3)

National Council Administers Summer Arab-U.S. Relations Student Educational and Career Development Program

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Washington, D.C., U.S.A.: The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations’ (“National Council” or “Council”) Annual 10-week University Student Summer Internship Program is successfully underway for 2022. It includes professional development opportunities, an academic seminar on the Arab region, and visits to central policymaking institutions in Washington, D.C. The program has resumed its in-person meetings and visits this summer after being administered exclusively online for the past two years. Serving as the lead lecturer and resource specialist for the program is the Council’s Founding President and CEO, Dr. John Duke Anthony.

Students gathered together at George Washington University with National Council President and CEO Dr. John Duke Anthony

Participants in the National Council’s 2022 University Student Summer Internship Program together with Council Founding President and CEO Dr. John Duke Anthony (center front) following a lecture at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs. In addition to professional development opportunities, the program includes an academic seminar heavily focused on Arabia and the Gulf as well as visits to a variety of Washington, D.C., institutions with international portfolios.

Twenty-one students and young professionals from as many schools across the United States are taking part in the National Council’s Summer Internship Program. Their backgrounds and areas of study are diverse, representing majors and minors from Mechanical Engineering to Political Science to Economics, Marketing, International Relations, and beyond. Four of the participants are alumni of the Council’s Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League. Council Student Programs Coordinator Katie Grandelli is herself an alumna of that educational activity.

Throughout his presentations, Dr. Anthony has placed a special emphasis on empathy with the Arab and Islamic countries and peoples analyzed and examined. He has simultaneously stressed the need for the development of leadership skills that are vital to success in whatever path the students’ futures take.

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