National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President & CEO Dr. John Duke Anthony met privately with Palestine Liberation Organization Chairman and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas today following Abbas’ visit with President Trump at The White House.
Dr. John Duke Anthony with Mahmoud Abbas in Washington, D.C., on May 3, 2017.
Following is important background information. It has to do with numerous high-profile administrative changes made by Saudi Arabia Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud in the past few weeks in the government of Saudi Arabia. Of special significance is the appointment of a new Ambassador to the United States, HRH Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, and a new Minister for Culture and Information, H.E. Dr. Awwad bin Saleh bin Abdullah Al-Awwad.
HRH Prince Khalid bin Salman was previously an adviser to the Saudi Arabian Minister of Defense, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Royal Court, and the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, D.C. He is also an accomplished F-15 pilot and was one of the first Saudi Arabian fighter pilots to conduct attacks on ISIS in Syria. H.E. Dr. Awwad Al-Awwad was most recently the Kingdom’s envoy in Germany.
Note also the more than a dozen new ministerial-level appointments of governors and deputy governors of various among the Kingdom’s 13 provinces. Note, too, the assignment of new director-generals to key agencies responsible for various aspects of the country’s modernization and development.
Saudi Arabian princes and ministers designated to new posts with the King, Crown Prince, and Deputy Crown Prince. Photo: Saudi Press Agency.
The declaration of such changes will naturally invite close examination and comment by specialists. This is to be predicted. What even the country’s critics will be unable to deny, however, is that the shakeup in the upper echelons of the country’s leaders gives the lie to those – and no doubt there are many – among the country’s critics, adversaries, and enemies who tend to dismiss any announcement that contains positive information about and insight into the Kingdom as rubbish.
As ever, these include those that are prone to perceiving the nature and extent of any Saudi Arabian governmental commitment to economic or any other kind of reforms as insincere, deceptive, cosmetic, and/or sclerotic. These will almost certainly do the same in this case.
The latest changes illustrate not only the degree to which important components of the Kingdom’s reforms are underway. They also demonstrate that among the reasons the reforms are being undertaken is an effort to enhance the country’s image, reputation for, and the increasing reality of its public sector accountability.
On March 29, 2017, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, the Middle East Council of American Chambers of Commerce, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, and the U.S.-GCC Corporate Cooperation Committee hosted a public affairs briefing on “The Future of U.S.-GCC Trade and Investment” in Washington, DC.
National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President & CEO Dr. John Duke Anthony speaks at the Council’s March 29, 2017, public affairs briefing on “The Future of U.S.-GCC Trade and Investment.”
Featured specialists included Dr. John Duke Anthony, Mr. H. Delano Roosevelt, Mr. Christopher Johnson, Ms. Nahlah Al-Jubeir, Mr. Robert Hager, Mr. Mike Jones, and Dr. Karl Petrick.
A podcast of the event can be found below as well as in iTunes along with recordings of other National Council programs: http://bit.ly/itunes-ncusar.
“The Future of U.S.-GCC Trade and Investment” podcast (.mp3)
March 14, 2017 – Statement from a senior adviser to Saudi Arabian Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump (via Bloomberg)
March 15, 2017 – White House readout of President Donald Trump’s meeting with Saudi Arabian Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
March 16, 2017 – Opening remarks from Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis’ meeting with Saudi Arabian Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Pentagon
March 16, 2017 – Readout of Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis’ meeting with Saudi Arabian Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Pentagon
On February 16, 2017, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations and the U.S.-GCC Corporate Cooperation Committee hosted a public affairs briefing on “What Arab-U.S. Way Forward in Major Crisis Areas?” in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC.
Mr. Khalil Jahshan, Executive Director of the Arab Center Washington DC, addresses a National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Capitol Hill public affairs briefing on February 16, 2017.
Featured specialists included Dr. John Duke Anthony, Dr. Geoffrey Gresh, Ms. Raghida Dergham, Mr. Khalil Jahshan, Mr. Fahad Nazer, Dr. Theodore Karasik, Dr. Imad Harb, and Dr. Hani Shennib.
A video recording (in Arabic) of the program is available below.
The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations and the U.S.-GCC Corporate Cooperation Committee invite you to attend a public affairs briefing on:
Context Provider and Moderator:
 Dr. John Duke Anthony Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations; Member, U.S. Department of State Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy and Subcommittee on Sanctions; and Knighted by Moroccan King Muhammad VI, bestowing upon him Morocco’s Highest Award for Excellence |
Featured Specialists:
“U.S. Defense Cooperation with the Arab Gulf States” Dr. Geoffrey Gresh International Security Studies Department Head and Associate Professor, College of International Security Affairs, National Defense University; and Author, Gulf Security and the U.S. Military: Regime Survival and the Politics of Basing |
“Alignments and Re-Alignments in U.S.-Arab Relations” Ms. Raghida Dergham Columnist, Senior Diplomatic Correspondent, and New York Bureau Chief, Al Hayat; Founder and Executive Chairman, Beirut Institute; and Member, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations International Advisory Committee |
“The Palestinian Future”
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“Changing Dynamics of U.S.-Gulf Relations” Mr. Fahad Nazer International Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations; Consultant, Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC; and Advisor, Gulf State Analytics |
“Russia and the Arab World: Allies or Adversaries?” Dr. Theodore Karasik Senior Advisor, Gulf State Analytics; Adjunct Senior Fellow, Lexington Institute; and Former Director of Research, RAND Center for Middle East Public Policy |
“Geo-Political Dynamics in Syria and Iraq” Dr. Imad Harb Director of Research and Analysis, Arab Center Washington DC; Distinguished International Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations |
“Promoting a Stable and Prosperous Libya” Dr. Hani Shennib Founding Chairman, National Council on U.S. Libya Relations |
and
Due to events and circumstances beyond the organizers’ and sponsors’ control, the conference on “Libya-U.S. Relations 2017: New Vision, Hope, and Opportunities,” originally scheduled for February 16, 2017, has been postponed.
As a result of Executive Order 13769 of January 27, 2017, which bans Libyan travelers from entering the United States, it will not be feasible for the full complement of speakers, sponsors, and guests to be in Washington, D.C., for the event as originally planned. In the interest of maximizing conference participants’ benefit in exploring current and future political, security, oil and gas, healthcare, and infrastructure investment issues in Libya – as well as the future of U.S.-Libya relations – a new date for the conference will be announced soon.
Thank you for your patience as the conference organizers and sponsors work to set a new date for the event. Many have recognized the importance of this conference and there appears to be political will to enable it to succeed. Conference organizers and sponsors hope to have an update on the conference status within the next two weeks.
If you have already registered for the conference, your registration will be applied to the new conference date. Refunds are available but individuals are encouraged to await developments regarding conference rescheduling before making a refund request.
Should you have any further questions, please contact Ms. Rihab Elhaj at relhaj@ncuslr.org or Dr. Hani Shennib at hshennib@mail.com.
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