The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations periodically sponsors public educational programs around Washington, D.C., and online where an assemblage of domestic and internationally renowned specialists analyze, discuss, and debate issues of importance to the relationship between the U.S. and the Arab countries, the Middle East, and the Islamic world. These events examine how best to strengthen and expand mutual Arab-U.S. trust, confidence, and benefits while examining a range of complex issues, interests, and policies.


 

 PAST BRIEFINGS:
 

February 8, 2024
Looking Ahead: What to Expect in the Middle East in 2024

VIDEO VIDEO

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 Senior Military Advisor to U.S. Department of State; Former U.S. Defense and Army Attaché to Saudi Arabia; HyphenPoint LLC Principal.

Introduction:

Mr. H. Delano Roosevelt, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations President and CEO.

 

 

 

December 14, 2023
Geopolitical Crossroads in Yemen: Unraveling Yemen’s Future Amidst Trade Routes and Conflict

VIDEO VIDEO

Featured Specialists:

Mr. Sami Hamdi, Managing Director and Head of Political Risk of the International Interest.
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.

Moderator:

Ms. Marwa J. Ghumrawi, Washington Center for Yemeni Studies Operations and Communications Manager.

 

 

 

June 29, 2023
Pivot or Remain in Place? Examining the U.S. Military Presence in Arabia and the Gulf

VIDEO VIDEO

Featured Specialists:

Sheikh Nawaf Al-Thani, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Distinguished International Defense Affairs Fellow; former Defense Attaché of Qatar to the United States; former Official Spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Defense.
Ms. Kirsten Fontenrose, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Senior Gulf Affairs Fellow; President of Red Six International, an advisory firm providing U.S. government approved technical expertise to partner nations on defeating drones.
Colonel (Ret.) Abbas Dahouk, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations 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 Principal.

Moderator and Discussant:

Colonel (Ret.) 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.

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

April 14, 2023
Peering Over The Horizon: Examining Future Energy Trends And Their Implications For The U.S. And Arab Region

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO

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.

 

 

 

March 14, 2023
The Impact of Growing Military and Civil Instability in the Middle East and North Africa Region

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO
REPORT REPORT FROM DR. ANTHONY CORDESMAN

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.

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

March 8, 2023
Weathering Chinese and Russian Competition in Arabia and the Gulf: Implications for United States Interests, Policies, and Strategy

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO

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 Senior Military Advisor to U.S. Department of State; Former U.S. Defense and Army Attaché to Saudi Arabia; HyphenPoint LLC Principal.

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

February 23, 2023
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

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO
REPORT REPORT FROM DR. ANTHONY CORDESMAN

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.

 

 

 

October 4, 2022
Restoring Hope Amid Crisis: Responses to the Economic Collapse in Lebanon

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO

Featured Specialists:

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

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

August 30, 2022
Reception for His Excellency Jasem Albudaiwi

Featured Specialist:

His Excellency Jasem Albudaiwi, Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to the United States of America.

Context Providers:

Mr. Ilan Goldenberg, U.S. Department of Defense Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Security Affairs.
Mr. Timothy Lenderking, U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen.
Mr. Daniel Benaim U.S. Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Arabian Peninsula Affairs.

Welcoming Remarks:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

July 22, 2022
Evaluating the Impact of President Biden's Visit to the Middle East

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO

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 Senior Military Advisor to U.S. Department of State; Former U.S. Defense and Army Attaché to Saudi Arabia; HyphenPoint LLC Principal.

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

June 24, 2022
President Biden’s Upcoming Visit to Saudi Arabia: Implications and Opportunities for the U.S.-Saudi Arabia Relationship

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO

Featured Specialists:

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 Senior Military Advisor to U.S. Department of State; Former U.S. Defense and Army Attaché to Saudi Arabia; HyphenPoint LLC Principal.

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

May 31, 2022
A Conversation About Humanitarian Aid With His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO

Featured Specialist:

His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, Supervisor General, King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Centre; Advisor, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Royal Court; Former Minister of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Moderator:

Colonel (Ret.) Abbas K. Dahouk, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations 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 Principal.

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.

 

 

 

March 23, 2022
The Legacy of King Abdulaziz and The Ramifications for Saudi Arabia Today

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO

Featured Specialists:

Dr. Joseph Kéchichian, King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies Senior Research Fellow; Author, inter alia, of The Arab Nationalist Advisor: Shaykh Yusuf Yassin of Sa'udi Arabia (forthcoming) and From Alliance to Union: Challenges Facing Gulf Cooperation Council States in the Twenty-First Century (2016).
Dr. Joshua Yaphe, U.S. Department of State Arabian Peninsula Analyst; Author of Saudi Arabia and Iraq as Friends and Enemies (2022); Former National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Scholar-in-Residence.

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.

 

 

 

March 17, 2022
Destination Oman: Heritage, Culture, Adventure

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO

Opening Remarks:

H.E. Moosa Hamdan Al Tai, Sultanate of Oman Ambassador to the United States.

Featured Specialists:

Professor Linda Pappas Funsch, Author of Oman Reborn: Balancing Tradition and Modernization; Former Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center Research Fellow; National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Malone Fellow and International Advisory Board Member.
Mr. Badar Al Yazeedi, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Cultural Affairs Fellow; Panorama Travels CEO; Oman Chamber of Commerce Tourism Committee Member; Oman Tourism Awards Jury Member.

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO; Author, inter alia, of Historical and Cultural Dictionary of The Sultanate of Oman and The Emirates of Eastern Arabia and Arab States of The Lower Gulf: People, Politics, Petroleum.

 

 

 

March 10, 2022
Can Lebanon Be Saved?

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO

Featured Specialists:

Ambassador (Ret.) Edward Gabriel, American Task Force on Lebanon President and CEO; Former United States Ambassador to Morocco (1997-2001).
Ms. Mona Yacoubian, United States Institute of Peace Senior Advisor for Syria, the Middle East, and North Africa; Former United States Agency for International Development Middle East Bureau Deputy Assistant Administrator.

Moderator:

Mr. Jean AbiNader, American Task Force on Lebanon Vice President for Policy; International Programs and Communications Specialist.

Welcome:

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

 

 

 

February 24, 2022
An Emerging Axis: Strategic Trends Between Saudi Arabia, Russia, and China, and What it Means for the Middle East

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO

Featured Specialists:

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.

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

February 9, 2022
Iran Nuclear Deal Negotiations: Policy Implications for Success or Failure

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO

Featured Specialists:

Dr. Mohammed S. Alsulami, Rasanah: International Institute for Iranian Studies Founder and President.
Mr. Norman Roule, Former United States National Intelligence Manager for Iran; United Against a Nuclear Iran Senior Advisor.

Moderator and Discussant:

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.

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

January 27, 2022
Surveying Geo-Political Dynamics in Arab North Africa: What Implications for the United States and the Region?

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO

Featured Specialist:

Dr. William Lawrence, American University School of International Service Professor and C&O Resources Senior Advisor; Analyst, Educator, International Programs Director, and Former Diplomat.

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

January 12, 2022
The Messy, Volatile, and Unpredictable Energy Transition to Come, and the Middle East North Africa Region

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO

Featured Specialist:

Dr. Paul Sullivan, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Distinguished International Affairs Fellow; King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies Senior Research Associate; Johns Hopkins University Adjunct Professor for Energy and Environmental Security.

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

December 15, 2021
Iraq Update: A Conversation with Ambassador Dr. Fareed Yasseen

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO

Featured Specialist:

H.E. Dr. Fareed Yasseen, Ambassador of Iraq to the United States of America; former Ambassador of Iraq to France.

Moderator and Discussant:

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.

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

October 21, 2021
A Conversation with Minister Khalid A. Al-Falih

Featured Specialist:

H.E. Eng. Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih, Saudi Arabia Minister of Investment; former Saudi Arabia Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources (2016-2019), Minister of Health (2015-2016), and Chairman of the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) Board of Directors (2015-2019).

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

October 5, 2021
Unpacking Lebanon's Crisis: Assessing the Leadership Failings Causing the Current Human Calamity

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO

Featured Specialists:

Ms. Daizy Gedeon, Writer and Director of ENOUGH! Lebanon's Darkest Hour; Journalist, filmmaker, and entrepreneur.
Mr. Ziad El Sayegh, Civic Influence Hub, Executive Director - Lebanon; Specialist in public policy and refugee issues.

Moderator and Discussant:

Colonel (Ret.) Abbas K. Dahouk, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations 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 Principal.

Moderator and Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

September 21, 2021
How to Grow U.S.-GCC Trade, Economic Cooperation, and Investment Opportunities?

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO

Featured Specialists:

Mr. H. Delano Roosevelt, U.S.-Saudi Business Council President and CEO; Former Middle East Council of American Chambers of Commerce Chairman.
Mr. Christopher Johnson, Middle East Council of American Chambers of Commerce Chairman; Attorney based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; KKR Saudi Limited Chairman.
Mr. Robert Hager, American Chamber of Commerce in Qatar Founding Chairman; Attorney based in Doha, Qatar.
Mr. Steve Lutes, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Middle East Affairs.
Ms. Sarah Karle, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Director of Middle East Affairs.
Ms. Liz Beneski, American Chamber of Commerce in Abu Dhabi Chief Executive Director.
Ms. Mary McGinnis, American Chamber of Commerce in Bahrain Executive Director.
Mr. Fred Shuaibi, American Business Council of Kuwait Board Member.

Moderator:

Mr. Mike Jones, Middle East Council of American Chambers of Commerce Washington, D.C. Representative; Capitol Capital Group, LLC Founding President.

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

September 9, 2021
Why Egypt Should Be Your Next Destination

VIDEO VIDEO

Featured Specialist:

H.E. Ghada Shalaby, Egypt's Vice Minister for Tourism Affairs at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Welcome:

H.E. Motaz Zahran, Ambassador of Egypt to the United States.

Moderator and Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

August 19, 2021
Energy Changes and Transitions: Why, What, Where, Who, How, and Uncertainties

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO

Featured Specialist:

Dr. Paul Sullivan, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Distinguished International Affairs Fellow; King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies Senior Research Associate; Johns Hopkins University Adjunct Professor for Energy and Environmental Security.

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.

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

July 20, 2021
Iran and U.S. Strategy: Looking Beyond the JCPOA

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO
REPORT REPORT FROM DR. ANTHONY CORDESMAN

Featured Specialist:

Dr. Anthony H. Cordesman, Center for Strategic and International Studies Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy; Consultant to the U.S. State Department, Defense Department, and intelligence community; Former Office of the Secretary of Defense Director of Intelligence Assessment.

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.

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

June 24, 2021
Focus on the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO

Featured Specialists:

Mr. Timothy A. Lenderking, U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen (February 4, 2021 – Present); Former U.S. Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arabian Peninsula Affairs; Former U.S. Department of State Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ms. Sarah Charles, U.S. Agency for International Development Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance Assistant to the Administrator; Former International Rescue Committee Senior Director for Policy and Advocacy; Former White House National Security Council Director for Humanitarian Affairs, and Director and Acting Senior Director for Strategic Planning.
Mr. David Gressly, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen (February 15, 2021 – Present); Former Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Protection and Operations for the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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 Attaché; HyphenPoint LLC President.

Context Providers:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO; Former Fulbright Fellow in the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (1969-1970); Official observer for four of Yemen’s presidential and parliamentary elections.
Mr. Abdulaziz M. Al-Anjeri, Reconnaissance Research Founder and CEO.

 

 

 

April 22, 2021
Exploring Oman: The Jewel of Arabia

VIDEO VIDEO

Featured Specialist:

Mr. Badar Al Yazeedi, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Cultural Affairs Fellow; Panorama Travels CEO; Oman Chamber of Commerce Tourism Committee Member; Oman Tourism Awards Jury Member.

Discussant:

Professor Linda Pappas Funsch, Author of Oman Reborn: Balancing Tradition and Modernization; Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center Research Fellow; National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Malone Fellow and International Advisory Board Member.

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

April 15, 2021
Examining Saudi Arabia's Humanitarian Outreach: A Conversation with H.E. Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO

Featured Specialist:

H.E. Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Centre Supervisor General; Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Royal Court Advisor; Former Saudi Arabia Minister of Health.

Moderator:

Colonel (Ret.) Abbas K. Dahouk, Former U.S. Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Senior Military Advisor; Former Embassy of the United States in Saudi Arabia Defense and Army Attaché; HyphenPoint LLC President; National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Board of Directors Member.

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

April 12, 2021
Regional Dynamics in Context: A Conversation with H.E. Walid Joumblatt

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO

Featured Specialist:

H.E. Walid Joumblatt, Progressive Socialist Party (Lebanon) President; Lebanese politician and leader.

Moderator:

Colonel (Ret.) Abbas K. Dahouk, Former U.S. Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Senior Military Advisor; Former Embassy of the United States in Saudi Arabia Defense and Army Attaché; HyphenPoint LLC President; National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Board of Directors Member.

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

March 24, 2021
Changing Security Dynamics of the Middle East North Africa Region

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO
REPORT REPORT FROM DR. ANTHONY CORDESMAN (.pdf)

Featured Specialist:

Dr. Anthony H. Cordesman, Center for Strategic and International Studies Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy; Consultant to the U.S. State Department, Defense Department, and intelligence community; Former Office of the Secretary of Defense Director of Intelligence Assessment.

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.

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

March 22, 2021
Examining Dynamics in Iraq: A Conversation with Ambassador Dr. Fareed Yasseen

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO

Featured Specialist:

H.E. Dr. Fareed Yasseen, Ambassador of Iraq to the United States of America; former Ambassador of Iraq to France.

Moderator:

Colonel (Ret.) Abbas K. Dahouk, Former U.S. Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Senior Military Advisor; Former Embassy of the United States in Saudi Arabia Defense and Army Attaché; HyphenPoint LLC President; National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Board of Directors Member.

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

February 16, 2021
Saudi Arabia Transformation: Uncertainty and Sustainability Book Discussion

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO

Featured Specialist:

Dr. Turki Faisal Al Rasheed, Author, Saudi Arabia Transformation: Uncertainty and Sustainability (Routledge 2021); Golden Grass, Inc. Founder and Chief Executive Officer; University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Adjunct Professor.

Commentator:

Dr. Paul Joyce, University of Birmingham (UK) Institute of Local Government Studies Associate; Leeds Beckett University Visiting Professor in Public Management; International Institute of Administrative Sciences Publications Director.

Moderator and Discussant:

Mr. H. Delano Roosevelt, U.S.-Saudi Business Council President and CEO.

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

January 28, 2021
The Biden Presidency, the GCC, and Iran

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO

Featured Specialists:

Dr. Mohammed S. Alsulami, Rasanah: International Institute for Iranian Studies Founder and Chairman.
Mr. Norman Roule, Former United States National Intelligence Manager for Iran; United Against a Nuclear Iran Senior Advisor.
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.

Moderator and Discussant:

Mr. Joshua Yaphe, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Scholar-in-Residence .

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

January 14, 2021
Egypt's Evolving Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO

Featured Specialist:

H.E. Motaz Zahran, Ambassador of Egypt to the United States; Former Egypt Assistant Foreign Minister and Chief of Cabinet at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Moderator and Discussant:

Former U.S. Representative Ed Royce, Former Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California (1993-2019) and Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (2013-2019); Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP Policy Director.

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

October 22, 2020
Business, Trade, and Investment Opportunities in Saudi Arabia: What You Need to Know

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Featured Specialists:

Mr. H. Delano Roosevelt, U.S.-Saudi Business Council President and CEO.
Mr. Ahmed Abuzinadah, Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, D.C. Commercial Attaché.
Mr. Abdulrahman T. Bakir, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Investment U.S. Office Vice President.

Welcoming Remarks:

Mr. Andrew Gelfuso, World Trade Center Washington, DC Director; TCMA at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center Vice President.

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

September 10, 2020
Vision or Mirage Book Discussion & Perspectives on U.S. Relationships in Arabia and the Gulf

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Featured Specialist:

Mr. David H. Rundell, Vision Or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads Author and Former United States Diplomat.

Commentator:

Ambassador (Ret.) Michael Gfoeller, Former United States Diplomat, and Consultant on Foreign Affairs and International Security.

Introduction and Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

 

 

 

August 25, 2020
Racism and Prejudice in America and the Arab World

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Featured Specialists:

Dr. Hoda Al-Helaissi, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Majlis al-Shura Member and Bureau of Experts Consultant.
Dr. Chouki El-Hamel, Arizona State University Professor and Author of Black Morocco.
Mr. Ismail Kushkush, Freelance Journalist and Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture Fellow.
Dr. Muhammad Al-Wuhaib, Kuwait University Department of Philosophy Chairman.

Introduction and Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

Closing Remarks:

Bishop Aubrey Harley, Healthy Choice Ministries (Baltimore, MD).

Moderators:

Ms. Hanin Al-Sudais, King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies Research Fellow.
Mr. Joshua Yaphe, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Scholar-in-Residence.

 

 

 

August 18, 2020
Beyond the Proxy War: The Search for a Solution to the Crisis in Libya

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Featured Specialists:

Mr. Jalel Harchaoui, Clingendael Institute (The Netherlands Institute of International Relations) Conflict Research Unit Research Fellow.
Dr. Virginie Collombier, European University Institute of Florence (Italy) Professor; Robert Schuman Center for Advanced Studies Middle East Directions Programme Scientific Coordinator.
Mr. Jonathan M. Winer, Former United States Special Envoy for Libya; Middle East Institute.

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. William Lawrence, American University School of International Service Professor of Political Science and International Affairs.

Welcoming Remarks:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO of the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations.

 

 

 

June 24, 2020
Life Within Six Feet: The Impact of Social Distancing on Society

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Featured Specialists:

Mr. Rafic Makki, Mubadala Ventures Fellow and Head of Technology.
Mr. Nasser Al Sheikh, Emirates National Holding Chairman and Former Dubai Finance Department Director General.
Dr. Omar Al-Ubaidly, Derasat Director of Research.
Dr. Anita Blanchard, University of North Carolina Charlotte Associate Professor of Psychology and Organization Science.
Mr. Selim Eddé, Google Middle East and North Africa Director and Head of Public Policy.

Welcoming Remarks:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.
Mr. Patrick Mancino, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Executive Vice President and Director of Development.

Closing Remarks:

Mr. Mohammed Baharoon, Dubai Public Policy Research Center (b’huth) Director General.

Moderator:

Mr. Joshua Yaphe, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Scholar-in-Residence.

 

 

 

June 17, 2020
Short-Term Pain, Long-Term Opportunity: Taking Stock of an Extraordinary Moment in the Saudi Arabian-United States Business Relationship

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Featured Specialists:

Mr. Christopher Johnson, Middle East Council of American Chambers of Commerce Chairman; Attorney based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; KKR Saudi Limited Chairman.
Mr. H. Delano Roosevelt, U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council President and Chief Executive Officer; Former Middle East Council of American Chambers of Commerce Chairman; National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Board of Directors Member.
Mr. Ahmed Abuzinadah, Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, D.C. Commercial Attaché.

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

Welcoming Remarks:

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

 

 

 

June 11, 2020
Eye on Oman: Constancy Amid Modernization and Development

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Featured Specialists:

H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Hassan, Sultanate of Oman Ambassador to the United Nations; Former Oman Ministry of Foreign Affairs Acting Undersecretary for Diplomatic Affairs; Former Ambassador of Oman to Russia.
Ambassador (Ret.) 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.
Professor Linda Pappas Funsch, Author of Oman Reborn: Balancing Tradition and Modernization; Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center Research Fellow; National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Malone Fellow and International Advisory Board Member.

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

Welcoming Remarks:

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

 

 

 

May 19, 2020
Sports Diplomacy in the Middle East

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Featured Specialists:

HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, President of the Saudi Arabian Federation for Electronics and Intellectual Sports and the Arab eSports Federation.
Ms. Shaima Saleh Al-Husseini, Managing Director of the Saudi Sports for All Federation.
Mr. Mark Clark, CEO of Generations for Peace, a Jordon-based NGO promoting sustainable conflict transformation.
Mr. Kemp Gouldin, Founder of Because Baseball, a non-profit dedicated to bringing baseball to schools in the Arab world.
Mr. Ryan Murphy, Middle East specialist in the U.S. State Department's Office of Sports Diplomacy.
Mr. Hozaifa Al-Maleh, Former member of the Syrian national basketball team and international professional basketball player.

Opening Remarks:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

Concluding Remarks:

Dr. Heidi A. Alaskary, CEO of the Special Olympics Saudi Arabian Federation.

Moderator:

Mr. Joshua Yaphe, Arabian Peninsula Analyst at the U.S. State Department.

 

 

 

April 15, 2020
Energy, Economic, and Defense Dynamics During a Time of Pandemic

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Featured Specialists:

Dr. Paul Sullivan, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Distinguished International Affairs Fellow; National Defense University Professor of Economics; Johns Hopkins University Adjunct Professor for Energy and Environmental Security; Federation of American Scientists Adjunct Senior Fellow for Future Global Resource Threats.
Ms. Kirsten Fontenrose, Atlantic Council Middle East Programs Director of Regional Security; former White House National Security Council Senior Director for Gulf Affairs.
Mr. Phillip Cornell, Atlantic Council Global Energy Center Nonresident Senior Fellow; Former Saudi Aramco Senior Corporate Planning Advisor; Former International Energy Agency Special Advisor.

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

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.

Welcoming Remarks:

Mr. Andrew Gelfuso, Trade Center Management Associates Vice-President.

 

 

 

February 26, 2020
A Conversation with H.E. Dr. Fareed Yasseen, Ambassador of Iraq to the United States

MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Featured Specialist:

H.E. Dr. Fareed Yasseen, Ambassador of Iraq to the United States of America; former Ambassador of Iraq to France.

Commentator:

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.

Moderator:

Mr. Patrick Mancino, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Executive Vice President.

 

 

 

February 5, 2020
The Life of Sultan Qaboos Bin Said (1940-2020): Context, Reflections, Perspectives

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Keynote Speaker:

H.E. Hunaina Sultan Ahmed Al Mughairy, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the United States

Moderator and Context Provider:

Ms. Kathleen Ridolfo, Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center Executive Director

Featured Specialists:

Ambassador (Ret.) Frances D. Cook, Former United States Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman (1996-1999)
Ambassador (Ret.) Richard J. Schmierer, Former United States Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman (2009-2012)
Mr. Timothy Lenderking, U.S. Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arabian Gulf Affairs
Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO

 

 

 

January 9, 2020
Strategic Dynamics of Iran’s Continuing Asymmetric Warfare: What Implications for the United States and the Region?

MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)
TRANSCRIPT SLIDES FROM DAVID DES ROCHES (.pdf)
TRANSCRIPT SLIDES FROM DR. ANTHONY CORDESMAN (.pdf)

Featured Specialists:

Mr. David Des Roches, Senior International Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations; Associate Professor, Near East/South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University, U.S. Department of Defense
Dr. Anthony H. Cordesman, Center for Strategic and International Studies Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy; Consultant to the U.S. State Department, Defense Department, and intelligence community; Former Office of the Secretary of Defense Director of Intelligence Assessment
Dr. Thomas Mattair, Middle East Policy Council Executive Director; Author of The Three Occupied UAE Islands: The Tunbs and Abu Musa and Global Security Watch – Iran: A Reference Handbook

Context Provider and Commentator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

September 18, 2019
Update on the Humanitarian Situation in Yemen

Featured Specialist:

His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, Supervisor General, King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Centre; Advisor, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Royal Court; Former Minister of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

July 19, 2019
The War of 2003 & its Unintended Consequences for Iraq, the Middle East, and the United States

MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Featured Specialist:

Dr. Zuhair Humadi, International Education Specialist; Former General Director, Iraqi Education Initiative

 

 

 

July 9, 2019
Exploring the Iraq-United States Relationship

MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)
TRANSCRIPT BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS ON IRAQ

Featured Specialist:

H.E. Dr. Fareed Yasseen, Ambassador of Iraq to the United States of America

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

June 28, 2019
Analysis of U.S. and GCC Tensions with Iran: Implications for Key American Policies

MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)
TRANSCRIPT SLIDES FROM DAVID DES ROCHES (.pdf)

Featured Specialists:

Mr. Norman Roule, Former National Intelligence Manager for Iran; United Against a Nuclear Iran Senior Advisor
Ms. Kirsten Fontenrose, Former White House National Security Council Senior Director for Gulf Affairs; Sonoran Policy Group Vice President for Global Relations
Mr. Phillip Cornell, Atlantic Council Global Energy Center Nonresident Senior Fellow; Former Saudi Aramco Senior Corporate Planning Advisor; Former International Energy Agency Special Advisor
Mr. David Des Roches, Senior International Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations; Associate Professor, Near East/South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University, U.S. Department of Defense
Colonel (Ret.) Abbas K. Dahouk, Former U.S. Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Senior Military Advisor; Former Embassy of the U.S. in Saudi Arabia Defense and Army Attaché

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

June 26, 2019
Book Discussion – Divided Gulf: The Anatomy of a Crisis

Featured Specialists:

Dr. Andreas Krieg
Dr. Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
Giorgio Cafiero

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

June 25, 2019
Desert Storm: Intersecting With Today's Middle East

Featured Specialists:

Mr. Marlin Fitzwater
Lieutenant General (Ret.) David Deptula
Mr. Scott C. Stump
Ambassador (Ret.) Edward W. Gnehm Jr.
Mr. Joe Davis

Context Provider and Moderator:

Ms. Kathleen Koch

 

 

 

May 30, 2019
Commemorating International Partnership and Statesmanship: Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and The National Desert Storm and Desert Shield Memorial in Washington, D.C.

MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Featured Specialists:

General (Ret.) Chuck Horner, Commanded U.S. and allied air operations for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia from August 1990 until April 1991
Ambassador (Ret.) Edward W. Gnehm Jr., Special Envoy to the Kuwaiti Government in Taif, Saudi Arabia, during Iraq’s 1990-1991 occupation of Kuwait and U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait from 1991 to 1994
Mr. Scott C. Stump, President and CEO of The National Desert Storm War Memorial Association

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

May 20, 2019
Exploring the Jordan-United States Relationship

Featured Specialist:

H.E. Dina Kawar, Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the United States of America

Moderator:

Ms. Yara Bayoumy, National Security Editor, The Atlantic

Context Provider and Chair:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

March 25, 2019
How to Grow U.S.-GCC Trade, Economic Cooperation, and Investment Opportunities?

Featured Specialists:

Representatives of the Middle East Council of American Chambers of Commerce

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

March 21, 2019
Yemen: How Near or Distant a Resolution to its Present Conflict?

MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Featured Specialists:

H.E. Dr. Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen to the United States; Office of Yemen’s President Chief of Staff; Yemen’s National Dialogue Conference Secretary General
Mr. Timothy Pounds, U.S. Department of State Office of Arabian Peninsula Affairs Director; former U.S. Embassy in Bahrain Deputy Chief of Mission
Dr. Stephen W. Day, Editor of Global, Regional, and Local Dynamics in Yemen’s War (early 2020) and Author of Regionalism and Rebellion in Yemen: A Troubled National Union (2012); Rollins College Adjunct Professor of International Affairs
Ms. Summer Nasser, Yemen Aid Chairperson; Speaker and analyst on Yemeni affairs
Colonel (Ret.) Abbas K. Dahouk, former U.S. Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Senior Military Advisor; former Embassy of the U.S. in Saudi Arabia Defense and Army Attaché

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

February 6, 2019
Strategic Implications of Recent U.S. Decisions on Syria

MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Featured Specialists:

Dr. Anthony H. Cordesman, Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies
Mr. David Des Roches, Associate Professor at the National Defense University’s Near East South Asia Center for Security Studies and a Senior International Affairs Fellow at the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations
Dr. Elias Samo, Adjunct Professor at American University’s School of International Service and a Distinguished International Affairs Fellow at the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

May 21, 2018
Furthering U.S.-GCC Trade, Economic Cooperation, and Investment Opportunities

MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Featured Specialists:

Mr. Christopher Johnson, Chairman, Middle East Council of American Chambers of Commerce, and Chairman, American Business Group of Riyadh
Mr. Fred Shuaibi, Vice Chairman, American Business Council of Kuwait, and Secretary, Middle East Council of American Chambers of Commerce
Mr. Matthew Kirkham, Board Member, American Business Group of Jeddah, and Finance Chairman, Middle East Council of American Chambers of Commerce
Mr. Robert Hager, Member, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations International Advisory Committee, and Partner, Squire Patton Boggs
Mr. Timir Mukherjee, Board Member, American Business Group of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia
Ms. Anne Jaffery, Chairman, American Business Council of Dubai
Mr. Michael Jones, Washington Representative, Middle East Council of American Chambers of Commerce
Ms. Nahlah Al-Jubeir, Senior International Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, and Director of the Center for Career Development, Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission
Dr. Karl Petrick, Associate Professor of Economics, Western New England University; Coordinator, Middle East Council of American Chambers of Commerce/Western New England University Gulf Region Trade Project

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

March 15, 2018
Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman's Upcoming Visit to America: Implications and Opportunities for the U.S.-Saudi Arabian Relationship

MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Featured Specialists:

Mr. Nawaf Al Thari, Distinguished International Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, and Political Adviser and Counter-Terrorism & Counter-Piracy Focal Point, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Permanent Mission to the United Nations
Mr. David Des Roches, Senior International Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, and Associate Professor, Near East/South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University, U.S. Department of Defense
Mr. Fahad Nazer, International Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, and Consultant, Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC
Mr. Khush Choksy, Senior Vice President for Middle East and Turkey Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Mr. Mike Ryan, Strategic Markets Advisor, U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council
Colonel Abbas K. Dahouk, Former U.S. Defense and Army Attaché in Saudi Arabia (2013-2017)

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

February 15, 2018
Sovereign Wealth Funds and Arab-U.S. Relations: Securing the Future

Featured Specialists:

Dr. Michael J.T. McMillen, Partner, Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle; Professor, University of Pennsylvania Law School and The Wharton School, and Founding Chairman, Islamic Finance Section, American Bar Association
Dr. Ghiyath Nakshbendi, Executive in Residence, Kogod School of Business, and Professor, American University, and International Business & Investment Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations
Dr. Michael Papaioannou, Visiting Scholar and Professor, LeBow School of Business, Department of Economics, Drexel University, and Expert and Former Deputy Division Chief at the Debt and Capital Markets Instruments, Monetary and Capital Markets Department, International Monetary Fund

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

February 7, 2018
The Changing Counter-Terrorism Landscape for the U.S. and its Regional Allies

Featured Specialist:

Mr. Bernard Hudson, Non-Resident Fellow, Saudi Arabia and GCC Security Project, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University; and Former Chief of Counterterrorism, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency

 

 

 

January 11, 2018
What’s the Status of President Trump’s Counter-Terrorism Campaign? Arab and U.S. Perspectives

MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Featured Specialists:

Mr. Nawaf Al Thari, Distinguished International Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations; and Political Adviser and Counter-Terrorism & Counter-Piracy Focal Point, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Permanent Mission to the United Nations
Mr. Christopher Blanchard, Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress
Mr. David Des Roches, Senior International Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations; and Associate Professor, Near East/South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University, U.S. Department of Defense
Mr. Fahad Nazer, International Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations; and Consultant, Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

September 18, 2017
Humanitarian Challenges in Yemen

MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Featured Specialist:

His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, Supervisor General, King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Centre; Advisor, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Royal Court; Former Minister of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

June 20, 2017
Vision 2030: Enhancing American and Saudi Arabian Business and Investment Dynamics

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)
SLIDES DR. PAUL SULLIVAN SLIDES (.pdf)
SLIDES MR. EDWARD BURTON SLIDES (.pdf)

Participating Specialists:

Dr. Paul Sullivan, Professor of Economics, National Defense University, and Senior International Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations
Mr. Fahad Nazer, International Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, and Consultant, Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC
Mr. Edward Burton, President and Chief Executive Officer, U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council, and Author, Business and Entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia (2016)

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

May 10, 2017
U.S.-Libya Relations 2017: New Vision, Hope, and Opportunities

Conference co-administered with the National Council on U.S. Libya Relations.

 

 

 

May 8, 2017
Economic Dynamics of U.S.-GCC Relations

MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Participating Specialists:

Ms. Khlood Aldukheil, Managing Director, Aldukheil Financial Group; President, National Committee for Statistics, Council of Saudi Chambers
Mr. Khaled Alderbesti, Senior Investment and Economic Consultant, Ministry of Economy & Commerce, State of Qatar
Dr. Ihsan Ali Bu-Hulaiga, Founder, Joatha Consulting; Former Chairman of the Finance Committee, Majlis Al-Shura (Consultative Council) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

May 4, 2017
Perspectives on the Conflict in Yemen

Workshop co-administered with the Gulf Research Center.

 

 

 

March 29, 2017
The Future of U.S.-GCC Trade and Investment

MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Participating Specialists:

Mr. H. Delano Roosevelt, Former Chairman, Middle East Council of American Chambers of Commerce; Member, Board of Directors, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations; Director of New Business Development, Reza Investment Group
Mr. Christopher Johnson, Chairman, Middle East Council of American Chambers of Commerce; Attorney based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Chairman, KKR Saudi Limited
Ms. Nahlah Al-Jubeir, Director, Center for Career Development, Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission; Senior International Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations
Mr. Robert Hager, Founding Chairman, American Chamber of Commerce in Qatar; Partner, Squire Patton Boggs
Dr. Karl Petrick, Associate Professor of Economics, Western New England University; Coordinator, Middle East Council of American Chambers of Commerce/Western New England University Gulf Region Trade Project
Mr. Mike Jones, Washington, D.C. Representative, Middle East Council of American Chambers of Commerce; Founding President, Capitol Capital Group, LLC

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

March 27, 2017
A Conversation About Energy & Development in Qatar

Featured Specialist:

H.E. Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy & Industry, State of Qatar; Chairman, Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah International Foundation for Energy and Sustainable Development; Former Chairman, United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development; Former President, 18th Session of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change

Moderator:

Dr. Herman Franssen, Executive Director, Energy Intelligence Group; President, International Energy Associates, Inc.; Senior Associate, Center for Strategic and International Studies; Adjunct Scholar; Middle East Institute; and Visiting Fellow, Centre for Global Energy Studies (London, UK)

Context Provider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

February 16, 2017
What Arab-U.S. Way Forward in Major Crisis Areas?

VIDEO VIDEO

Participating Specialists:

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
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
Mr. Khalil Jahshan, Executive Director, Arab Center Washington DC; Former President, National Association of Arab-Americans; and Former Vice President, American Committee on Jerusalem
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
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
Dr. Imad Harb, Director of Research and Analysis, Arab Center Washington DC; Distinguished International Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations
Dr. Hani Shennib, Founding Chairman, National Council on U.S. Libya Relations

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

June 9, 2016
Counter-Terrorism and Saudi Arabia

Featured Specialist:

Mr. Nawaf Althari, Counter-Terrorism Adviser, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Permanent Mission to the United Nations

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relation

 

 

 

May 19, 2016
Conversation with a Delegation Representing the Majlis Al-Shura (Consultative Council) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Delegation Members:

H.E. Dr. Mohammed bin Ameen Al-Jeffri, Vice Speaker, Majlis Al-Shura
H.E. Dr. Mohammed Al Hayaza
H.E. Dr. Khalid Al Awwad
H.E. Dr. Saud Assubayii
H.E. Dr. Faleh Al-Seghayer
H.E. Dr. Abdulaziz Taher
H.E. Dr. Selwa Al-Hazzaa
H.E. Dr. Khawla Al-Kuraya
H.E. Dr. Khalid Al-Aqeel
H.E. Dr. Tarek Fadaak
H.E. Dr. Fahad Al Anazi

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

April 13, 2016
Fostering U.S.-GCC Trade, Economic Cooperation, and Investment Opportunities

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Participating Specialists:

Mr. H. Delano Roosevelt, Chairman, Middle East Council of American Chambers of Commerce, Member, Board of Directors, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, Director of New Business Development, Reza Investment Group
Ms. Nahlah Al-Jubeir, Director, Center for Career Development, Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission, Senior International Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations
Mr. Khush Choksy, Senior Vice President for Middle East and Turkey Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Mr. Christopher Johnson, Attorney based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Chairman, KKR Saudi Limited
Ms. Randa Fahmy, President, Fahmy Hudome International, Treasurer, Board of Directors, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, Former Associate Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy
Mr. Mike Jones, Founding President, Capitol Capital Group, LLC

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

December 8, 2015
“Oman Reborn: Balancing Tradition and Modernization” Book Discussion

VIDEO VIDEO

Featured Specialist:

Ms. Linda Pappas Funsch, Author, Oman Reborn: Balancing Tradition and Modernization; Malone Fellow to Oman and Morocco, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

Context Provider and Moderator:

Ms. Randa Fahmy, Treasurer and Board Member, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

October 6, 2015
Analyzing and Assessing Saudi Arabian Defense Strategy

MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Featured Specialist:

HRH Navy Captain (Ret.) Prince Sultan bin Khalid Al-Faisal Al Sa'ud, President, Al Joshan Security Services; Former Commander, Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) Counter-Insurgency Special Operations Task Force; Designer and Inaugural Commandant, RSNF Special Forces Training Center

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

September 18, 2015
A Conversation with the GCC Secretary General

Featured Specialist:

H.E. Dr. Abdul Latif Al Zayani, Secretary General, Gulf Cooperation Council

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

June 29, 2015
Yemen in Crisis: What Next?

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Participating Specialists:

Dr. Noel Brehony, Chair, Menas Associates; Former Chair, British Yemeni Society; Author, Yemen Divided: The Story of a Failed State in South Arabia
Ms. Sama'a Al-Hamdani, Analyst and Writer, Yemeniaty; former Assistant Political Officer, Embassy of the Republic of Yemen in Washington, DC
Mr. Peter Salisbury, Journalist and Analyst, Financial Times, The Economist, Vice News, and other publications; former Consultant, Chatham House Yemen Forum

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

June 9, 2015
Conversation with a Delegation Representing the Saudi-U.S. Parliamentary Friendship Committee of the Majlis Al-Shura (Consultative Council) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Delegation Members:

H.E. Dr. Mohammed Alnagadi
H.E. Dr. Ahmed Almofareh
H.E. Dr. Aljawhara Bubshait
H.E. Dr. Saud Assubayii
H.E. Dr. Sadaka Fadil
H.E. Dr. Awad Al Asmari
H.E. Dr. Mansour Alkraidees
H.E. Dr. Hanan Al-Ahmadi

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

May 22, 2015
Leadership Changes in Saudi Arabia: What Implications for the Kingdom, the Region, and the U.S.?

TRANSCRIPT NAWAF OBAID PRESENTATION (.pdf)
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Participating Specialists:

Dr. Nawaf Obaid, Visiting Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University; Lecturer, London Academy of Diplomacy, Stirling University; Senior Fellow, King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies

Context Provider and Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

May 12, 2015
After a Nuclear Agreement: Whither Arab-Iranian and U.S.-GCC Relations?

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Participating Specialists:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations
Dr. Christian Koch, Director, Gulf Research Center Foundation (Geneva, Switzerland)
Dr. Sara Vakhshouri, President, SVB Energy International
Dr. Thomas Mattair, Executive Director, Middle East Policy Council
Dr. Alidad Mafinezam, President, West Asia Council
Dr. Imad Harb, Distinguished International Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

Moderator:

Mr. John Pratt, Member, Board of Directors, and Distinguished International Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

April 8, 2015
Assessing the Iran Nuclear Deal: Issues and Implications

VIDEO C-SPAN VIDEO

Participating Specialists:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations
H.E. Ambassador Seyed Hossein Mousavian, Associate Research Scholar, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University and former Spokesman for Iran in nuclear negotiations with the European Union
Dr. Thomas Mattair, Executive Director, Middle East Policy Council
Dr. Kenneth Katzman, Specialist in Middle East Affairs in the Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division, Congressional Research Service
Dr. Imad Harb, Distinguished International Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations
Dr. Paul Sullivan, Senior International Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

Moderator:

Mr. John Pratt, Member, Board of Directors, and Distinguished International Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

April 2, 2015
Yemen in Chaos: Analysis, Prognosis, and Prospects

VIDEO C-SPAN VIDEO
TRANSCRIPT TRANSCRIPT

Participating Specialists:

H.E. Adel A. Al-Jubeir, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the United States
Mr. Jeremy M. Sharp, Specialist in Middle East Affairs, Congressional Research Service; Author, CRS Report "Yemen: Background and U.S. Relations"
Ms. Sama'a Al-Hamdani, Analyst and Writer, Yemeniaty; former Assistant Political Officer, Embassy of the Republic of Yemen in Washington, DC
Professor David Des Roches, Senior Military Fellow, Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University; Malone Fellow in Arab and Islamic Studies (Syria), National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations
Mr. Abbas Almosawa, Yemeni Journalist and Analyst; former Media and Information Advisor, Embassy of the Republic of Yemen in Abu Dhabi and Beirut

Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

August 20, 2014
Dynamics of Regional Crises Run Amok: Implications for Arab and U.S. Interests and Policies

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Participating Specialists:

Ambassador Samir Sumaida'ie, Former Ambassador of Iraq to the United States (2006-2011) and Former Permanent Representative of Iraq to the United Nations (2004-2006)
Professor David Des Roches, Senior Military Fellow, Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University, and Malone Fellow in Arab and Islamic Studies to Syria
Dr. Imad Harb, Distinguished International Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations
Dr. Thomas Mattair, Executive Director, Middle East Policy Council
Mr. Matthew A. Reynolds, North America Representative, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
Mr. Joshua Yaphe, Arabian Peninsula Analyst, U.S. Department of State Bureau of Intelligence and Research

Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

May 9, 2014
Iraq Update – Challenges and Opportunities

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Featured Specialist:

His Excellency Lukman Faily, Ambassador of Iraq to the United States

Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

April 1, 2014
Qatar – "Understood" And "Misunderstood"

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Featured Specialist:

His Excellency Mohammed Jaham Al Kuwari, Ambassador of Qatar to the United States

Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

February 19, 2014
Tunisia: The Way Forward

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Keynote Speaker:

His Excellency M'Hamed Ezzine Chelaifa, Ambassador of the Republic of Tunisia to the United States

Special Guest:

Mr. Andrew Haviland, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs' International Finance and Development Unit, U.S. Department of State

Speaker:

Dr. Caroline Freund, Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics; Former Chief Economist for the Middle East and North Africa, World Bank

Moderator:

Dr. Néjib Ayachi, Founding President, The Maghreb Center

Welcoming Remarks:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

February 13, 2014
Dynamics of U.S.-GCC Defense Cooperation

MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)
VIDEO KSA2 PROGRAM SUMMARY

Participating specialists:

Ambassador (Ret.) James Smith, Former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (2009-2013); Senior Counselor, The Cohen Group
Professor David Des Roches, Senior Military Fellow, Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University; Malone Fellow in Arab and Islamic Studies to Syria
Professor Paul Sullivan, Professor of Economics, National Defense University; Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University

Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

December 4, 2013
Opportunities for Export Business and Investment in Libya's Healthcare and Medical Sector

Featured Speaker:

His Excellency Emhamed Elhemmali, Deputy Minister Of Health, Government of Libya

Commentators:

Dr. Esam Omeish, Chairman of the Department of General Surgery, Inova Alexandria Hospital, and Vice Chairman, The American Libyan Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Dr. Mahmoud Usta Omar, Medical Attaché, Embassy of Libya in Washington, DC

Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

November 13, 2013
Placing the Recent Tension in Saudi Arabian-U.S. Relations in Context: Where Do We Go From Here?

TRANSCRIPT TRANSCRIPT

Participating specialists:

Ambassador (Ret.) James Smith, Former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (September 2009 - September 2013); and Senior Counselor, The Cohen Group
Ambassador (Ret.) Ford Fraker, Former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (April 2007 - April 2009); and Senior Advisor, Trinity Group Limited

Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

July 19, 2013
The Way Forward in Egypt

MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Participating specialists:

Professor Karim Haggag, Visiting Professor, Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, and Former Director, Egyptian Press and Information Office in Washington, DC
Ms. Randa Fahmy Hudome, Board Member, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, and General Counsel, American Egyptian Strategic Alliance
Dr. Marina Ottaway, Senior Scholar, Middle East Program, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Dr. Diane Singerman, Associate Professor, School of Public Affairs, American University

Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

June 7, 2013
Crisis Syria: Going Where?

VIDEO C-SPAN VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)
TRANSCRIPT Diplomatic Courier - "Syrian Civil War: How Did We Get Here?"

Participating specialists:

Ms. Mona Yacoubian, Senior Advisor, Middle East and Project Director, Pathways to Progress, Stimson Center
Mr. Ian Pannell, Correspondent, BBC News
Professor David Des Roches, Senior Military Fellow, Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University
Ms. Sharon Waxman, Vice President, Public Policy and Advocacy, International Rescue Committee
Professor Paul Sullivan, Professor of Economics, National Defense University and Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University

Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

May 21, 2013
Bahrain: A Conversation About Its Challenges and Opportunities

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Participating specialists:

Ambassador Ronald E. Neumann, President, American Academy of Diplomacy; Former U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain, Afghanistan, and Algeria
Professor David Des Roches, Senior Military Fellow, Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University
Ms. Sarah Leah Whitson, Executive Director, Middle East and North Africa Division, Human Rights Watch
Professor Paul Sullivan, Professor of Economics, National Defense University; Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University

Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

April 22, 2013
Opportunities for Investment in
Libyan Energy, Finance, and Infrastructure

MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Featured Speaker:

His Excellency Dr. Elkalani A. Alsalim, Minister of Finance, Government of Libya

Introduction By:

His Excellency Ali Aujali, Ambassador of Libya to the United States

Commentators:

Ms. Randa Fahmy Hudome, Board Member, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations
Mr. Robert Marro, President, American Libyan Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Ms. Paula Freer, Director, International Government Affairs, Marathon Oil Corporation; and Chair, U.S.-Libya Business Association

Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

April 11, 2013
Rhetoric and Reality in Arab-U.S. Energy Relations

MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)

Participating specialists:

Mr. John Hofmeister, Founder and Chief Executive, Citizens for Affordable Energy; former President, Shell Oil Company
Professor Paul Sullivan, Professor of Economics, National Defense University; Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University
Ms. Randa Fahmy Hudome, President, Fahmy Hudome International; former Associate Deputy Secretary of Energy

 

 

 

March 5, 2013
Constitutionalism and Human Rights in Tunisia:
The Islamist-Led Democratic Transition Post-Arab Spring

VIDEO "Tunisia: Post-Revolution Political and Constitutional Transitions" VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO "Tunisia: Post-Revolution Political and Constitutional Transitions" AUDIO (.mp3)
VIDEO "The Future of Women's Rights, Minority Rights, and Freedom of Expression in Tunisia" VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO "The Future of Women's Rights, Minority Rights, and Freedom of Expression in Tunisia" AUDIO (.mp3)
TRANSCRIPT COUNCIL FOR A COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES RECAP
TRANSCRIPT MAGHREB CENTER RECAP

Participating specialists:

Ms. Alexis Arieff, Analyst, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, Washington DC
Dr. Alaya Allani, Professor of History, Manouba University, Tunis
Dr. Ghazi Gherairi, Law Professor, University of Tunis, Tunis; Secretary General, The International Academy for Constitutional Law (AIDC), Tunis
Dr. Ahmed El Hamri, Development Economist, Academia; Consultant, The World Bank
Mr. Eric Goldstein, Deputy Director, Human Rights Watch
Ms. Naziha Réjiba, Journalist; Human rights activist; 2009 Recipient of the International Press Freedom Award of the Committee to Protect Journalists
Dr. Nancy Okail, Program Director, The Freedom House, Washington DC

Moderators:

Dr. I. William Zartman, Jacob Blaustein Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of The Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Nejib Ayachi, President, The Maghreb Center, Washington DC

 

 

 

September 6, 2012
Infrastructure and Business Opportunities in North Africa

MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)
TRANSCRIPT REMARKS BY PRINCIPAL DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY DEBORAH MCCARTHY
TRANSCRIPT NUSACC PRESS RELEASE 

Participating specialists:

Mr. Carl Kress, Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Europe Region, U.S. Trade and Development Agency
Ms. Randa Fahmy Hudome, President, Fahmy Hudome International
Ms. Laura Lombard, Director, Business Development, Sidar Global Advisors
Mr. Steven Mayo, Business Development Officer, Project and Structured Finance, Export-Import Bank of the United States
Ms. Deborah McCarthy, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Finance and Development, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Mr. Curtis Silvers, Executive Vice President, National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce

Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations; Member, U.S. Department of State Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy and its subcommittees on Sanctions and Trade and Investment

 

 

 

June 26, 2012
Crisis Yemen: Going Where?

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)
TRANSCRIPT PANEL REMARKS BY PROFESSOR SHARP
TRANSCRIPT PROJECT ON MIDDLE EAST DEMOCRACY RECAP
TRANSCRIPT WAQ AL-WAQ

Participating specialists:

Ambassador Barbara Bodine, Lecturer and Director, Scholars in the Nation's Service Initiative, Princeton University; and former U.S. Ambassador to Yemen
Mr. Gregory Johnsen, Ph.D. Candidate, Princeton University; author, Waq al-waq blog and The Last Refuge: Yemen, al-Qaeda, and America's War in Arabia; and former Fulbright and American Institute for Yemeni Studies Fellow in Yemen
Dr. Charles Schmitz, Associate Professor of Geography, Towson University; President, American Institute for Yemeni Studies; and former Fulbright and American Institute for Yemen Studies Fellow in Yemen
Mr. Robert Sharp, Associate Professor, Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, U.S. Department of Defense/National Defense University

Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations; former Fulbright Fellow in the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen; and official observer for four of Yemen's presidential and parliamentary elections

 

 

 

May 24, 2012
The Gulf Cooperation Council at 31: Implications of Trends and Indications for GCC and US Interests

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)
TRANSCRIPT PICTURES

Participating specialists:

Dr. Odeh Aburdene, Participant, international economic, business, and investment forums in Bahrain; Doha, Qatar; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Ms. Randa Fahmy Hudome, former U.S. Department of Energy Associate Deputy Secretary
Mr. Andrew Rabens, U.S. Department of State Bureau of Near East Affairs
Mr. Robert Sharp, U.S. Department of Defense Near East and South Asia Center for Strategic Studies
Ms. Molly Williamson, former Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Defense, former Acting Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of State, and former Senior Foreign Policy Advisor at the U.S. Department of Energy
Mr. Joshua Yaphe, U.S. Department of State Bureau of Intelligence and Research

Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

April 18, 2012
Trade, Investment, Finance, and the Way Forward:
A Conversation on U.S.-GCC Economic Relations
with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

PICTURES PICTURES

Participating specialists:

Mr. L. Daniel Mullaney, Assistant Trade Representative for Europe and the Middle East, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
Mr. Jason Buntin, Director for Europe and Middle East Affairs, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

January 24, 2012
Afternoon Tea and A Conversation With Mrs. Cherie Blair

PICTURES PICTURES

Featured Speaker: Mrs. Cherie Blair, Founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women; noted barrister and QC, specializing in human rights law; and wife of former British Prime Minister, The Right Honourable Tony Blair
Introduction by: H.E. Ambassador Houda Ezra Ebrahim Nonoo, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United States of America
Moderator: Ms. Randa Fahmy Hudome, Member of the Board of Directors of the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

September 15, 2011
What Lies Ahead for America in Arabia and the Gulf?:
Analyses and Prognoses

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)
PICTURES PICTURES

Participating specialists:

Dr. Abdulaziz Sager, Chairman and Founder, Gulf Research Center
Dr. Christian Koch, Director, Gulf Research Center Foundation
Dr. Mustafa Alani, Senior Advisor and Research Program Director, Gulf Research Center

Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations 

 

 

 

September 14, 2011
Dynamics of Palestine in the Coming
Arab & UN Seasons – Five Perspectives

MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)
PICTURES PICTURES

Participating specialists:

Dr. Philip Giraldi, Executive Director, Council on the National Interest and former CIA counter-terrorism specialist and military intelligence officer who served in Turkey, Italy, Germany, and Spain
Dr. Fouzi El-Asmar, Distinguished Palestinian Writer, Poet, Academic, and Journalist
Mr. Mark Perry, American author specializing in Military Intelligence and Foreign Affairs Analysis
Mr. Jeffrey Steinberg, Senior Editor, Journalist, and Lecturer on Middle East and International Security Affairs

Chair:

Professor Don Wallace, Jr., Chairman, International Law Institute and Chair, International Council for Middle East Studies

 

 

 

August 9, 2011 and August 11, 2011
Libya From the Front Lines

Featured Speaker: Mr. Richard Ayton, recent Stabilization Advisor to the British Special Representative to Libya

 

 

 

June 29, 2011
A Conversation with The Right Honourable Tony Blair

PICTURES PICTURES

Featured Speaker: The Right Honourable Tony Blair
Introduction by: H.E. Ambassador Adel A. Al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States and Advisor at the Royal Court
Moderator: Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

May 26, 2011
Symposium on U.S.-Iran and U.S.-Libya Sanctions

Featured Speaker: Mr. Larry Christensen, Member, Miller & Chevalier

 

 

 

May 13, 2011
A Conversation with John Hofmeister

VIDEO C-SPAN VIDEO 

Featured Speaker: John Hofmeister, Founder and Chief Executive, Citizens for Affordable Energy, and Former President, Shell Oil Company 
Moderator: Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

April 15, 2011
Luncheon in Honor of Ambassador Joseph LeBaron,
United States Ambassador to the State of Qatar

PICTURES PICTURES

Featured Speaker: Ambassador Joseph LeBaron, United States Ambassador to the State of Qatar

 

 

 

April 8, 2011
A Conversation with a Delegation Representing
the Majlis Ash-Shura (Consultative Council)
of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Delegation Members:

H.E. Osama Bin Mohammed Al-Kurdi, Member of the Council
H.E. Dr. Abdallah Bin Yahya Bukhari, Member of the Council
H.E. Khalifa Bin Ahmed Rashid Al-Dosari, Member of the Council
H.E. Mohammed Bin Abdallah Al-Quaihis, Member of the Council
H.E. Dr. Saud H. R. Al-Subaie, Member of the Council
H.E. Dr. Mazen Bin Foad Bin Mahmood AlKhayyat, Member of the Council
H.E. Dr. Mai bint Abdulaziz bin Ibrahim AlEssa, Advisor to the Council
H.E. Dr. Mahasen Hasan Abu-Mansour Flamban, Advisor to the Council

Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

March 2, 2011
What You Need to Know Now:
The Arabian Dimension in Today's Mideast Turmoil

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)
PICTURES PICTURES

Participating specialists:

Dr. Herman Franssen, President, International Energy Associates, and Senior Associate, Energy and National Security Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies 
Dr. David E. Long, Consultant on Middle East affairs and international terrorism, and author of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Mr. Robert Lacey, Historian and author of The Kingdom and Inside the Kingdom
Mr. Peter A. Iseman, Historian and International Educator

Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

  

 

 

July 28, 2010
Islamic Finance Forum

VIDEO VIDEO
PICTURES PICTURES

Participating specialists:

Aamir Rehman, Managing Director at Fajr Capital Limited and author of Dubai & Co.: Global Strategies for Doing Business in the Gulf States and Gulf Capital & Islamic Finance: The Rise of the New Global Players
Umar Moghul, Partner at Murtha Cullina LLP and co-chair of the firm's Islamic Finance and Investments Group
Ibrahim Warde, Adjunct Professor of International Business at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University and author of Islamic Finance in the Global Economy
Shaykh Yusuf Talal DeLorenzo, Chief Shariah Officer at Shariah Capital
Frank Vogel, Professor Harvard Law School and author of The Islamic School of Law: Evolution, Devolution and Progress and Islamic Law and Legal System: Studies of Saudi Arabia

Moderator:

Jean-François Seznec, Visiting Associate Professor at Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies

 

 

 

June 30, 2010
The Arab World and the Future of Global Energy Supply: Realities, Risks, and Prospects

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)
PICTURES PICTURES

Participating specialists:

Mr. Guy Caruso, Senior Advisor, Energy and National Security Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Ms. Molly Williamson, Adjunct Scholar, Middle East Institute, and Immediate Past Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the Secretary of Energy
Ms. Randa Fahmy-Hudome, President, Fahmy-Hudome International, and Former Associate Deputy Secretary of Energy
Ms. Sarah Ladislaw, Senior Fellow, Energy and National Security Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies

Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

  

 

 

March 31, 2010
A Conversation with
His Royal Highness Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al-Hussein, Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
to the United States

VIDEO C-SPAN VIDEO
TRANSCRIPT THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT'S RECAP
PICTURES PICTURES

Featured Speaker: HRH Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al-Hussein
Moderator: Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

December 22, 2009
Report from the Gulf Cooperation Council's Ministerial and Heads of State Summit in Kuwait, December 2009:
What Did and Did Not Happen and What Next?

VIDEO C-SPAN VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO - Part 1 (.mp3)
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO - Part 2 (.mp3)
TRANSCRIPT 'HOW' QUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION

Featured Speaker: Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

December 10, 2009
Yemen Headlined:
Contemporary Myths and Empirical Realities

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO - Part 1 (.mp3)
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO - Part 2 (.mp3)
TRANSCRIPT TRANSCRIPT (.pdf)
TRANSCRIPT PROJECT ON MIDDLE EAST DEMOCRACY RECAP
TRANSCRIPT REMARKS REFERENCED BY AMB. JAMES LAROCCO
PICTURES PICTURES

Participating specialists:

Ambassador Barbara Bodine, Director, Scholars in the Nation's Service Initiative, Princeton University, and former U.S. Ambassador to Yemen
Dr. Christopher Boucek, Associate in the Middle East Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Mr. Gregory Johnsen, Ph.D. Candidate, Princeton University; Co-Founder, Waq al-Waq: Islam and Insurgency in Yemen Blog; and former Fulbright and American Institute for Yemen Studies Fellow in Yemen
Ambassador James A. Larocco, Near East and South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University, U.S. Department of Defense, and former U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait
Dr. Mustafa Alani, Senior Advisor and Research Program Director, Gulf Research Center, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations; former Fulbright Fellow in the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen; and one of two Americans to have served as an official observer for all four of Yemen's presidential and parliamentary elections

  

 

 

February 17, 2009
Islamic Finance and the Global Economic Crisis

MP3 AUDIO AUDIO (.mp3)
TRANSCRIPT SLIDES FROM DR. YUSUF TALAL DELORENZO (.pdf)
TRANSCRIPT SLIDES FROM MR. MICHAEL MCMILLEN (.pdf)
TRANSCRIPT DIPLOMATIC CONNECTIONS RECAP (.pdf)
TRANSCRIPT PICTURES

Featured Speakers:

Dr. Yusuf Talal DeLorenzo, Chief Shariah Officer, Shariah Capital
Mr. Michael McMillen, Attorney, Fulbright & Jaworski LLP

Moderator:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

Background Information:

CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE: "ISLAMIC FINANCE: OVERVIEW AND POLICY CONCERNS" (.pdf)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY: "OVERVIEW OF ISLAMIC FINANCE" (.pdf)
ERNST & YOUNG: "ISLAMIC FUNDS AND INVESTMENTS REPORT" (.pdf)
GULF ONE INVESTMENT BANK: "ISLAMIC FINANCE: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES"

 

 

 

December 16, 2008
A Conversation with
H.E. Samir Shakir M. Sumaida'ie,
Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to the United States

VIDEO C-SPAN VIDEO
TRANSCRIPT PROGRAM (.pdf)
TRANSCRIPT TRANSCRIPT (.pdf)
TRANSCRIPT WASHINGTON REPORT ON MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS ARTICLE

Featured Speaker: H.E. Samir Shakir M. Sumaida'ie
Moderator: Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

December 2, 2008
A Conversation with
His Royal Highness Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Sa'ud

TRANSCRIPT WASHINGTON REPORT ON MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS ARTICLE

Featured Speaker: HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Sa'ud
Moderator: Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

June 16, 2008
A Conversation with a Delegation Representing
the Majlis Ash-Shura (Consultative Council)
of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Delegation Members:

H.E. Dr. Bandar Bin Mohammed Al Eiban, Chairman of the Saudi US Friendship Committee
H.E. Engineer, Usamah Bin Mohammed Al-Kurdi; Member of the Council
H.E. Yousef A. El-Maimani, Member of the Council
H.E. Dr. Khalid Ibrahim Al-Awwad, Member of the Council
H.E. Dr. Nihad M. A. Jishi, Consultant for the Council

 

 

 

June 5, 2008
The Implications of Sovereign Wealth Funds
For American Interests and U.S. Policies

Featured Speakers:

Congressman Jim Moran (D-VA)
Co-Chair of the House Sovereign Wealth Funds Task Force
Congressman Tom Davis (R-VA)
Co-Chair of the House Sovereign Wealth Funds Task Force
Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY)
Official Designee of the House Committee on
Financial Services to the Sovereign Wealth Funds Task Force

Presider:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

April 1, 2008
Changing Dynamics of U.S.-Mideast Defense Relations: Withdraw? Downsize? Remain Engaged?
Redeploy? Reconfigure?

TRANSCRIPT WASHINGTON REPORT ON MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS ARTICLE

Featured Speaker: General Anthony C. Zinni, USMC (Ret.)
Introduction by: Congressman Jim Moran (D-VA)
Presider: Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

 

 

March 19, 2008
Energy Interdependence versus Independence:
Rhetoric & Reality

Featured Speakers:

The Honorable Karen Harbert, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for 21st Century Energy
Dr. Herman Franssen, President, International Energy Associates & Senior Associate, CSIS Energy and National Security Program

 

 

 

The National Council does not employ or retain a lobbyist. Please note that these events meet the criteria of a "widely attended event," as defined under the new House ethics rules: the events are open to the public and are actively advertised to an audience of non-Hill staff, with the expectation that more than 25 non-Hill staff will attend. If Hill staffers have further questions, they should contact the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct at (202) 225-7103.

former U.S. Ambassador to Yemen