Dr. Abderrahim Foukara is the National Council’s Distinguished Fellow for U.S.-Arab Affairs and Media Leadership. This distinguished nonresident fellow appointment recognizes Dr. Foukara’s extraordinary career in international broadcast journalism and has created new opportunities for the Council to benefit from his insights and experience to advance informed dialogue between the United States and the Arab world.
Dr. Foukara has had a long-distinguished career as a journalist and leader. His abilities are the product of several distinct cultures. He was born and raised in Morocco and educated in the United Kingdom, where he later began his journalism career with BBC radio in London. In 1999, he moved to the United States where he worked for Public Radio International before joining Aljazeera TV first as a correspondent and later as its Bureau Chief for the Americas.
In addition to overseeing the work of some 300 staff, spread out across Canada, the United States and several Latin American countries, he hosted Min Washington, Al Jazeera’s flagship program, a weekly show which looks at US political, cultural and economic issues and how they impact the Middle East region and beyond. The LA Times once described him as Aljazeera’s U.S. translator. Part of his passion has been to translate the American political system and its language to foreign audiences. When he renders words such as “gerrymandering” or “maverick,” for example, to a foreign audience, he tries to translate both the complexity of the American political system and the American sensibility which goes with it. He has made it an essential part of his journalism to help Middle Eastern audiences understand how those elements work in times of peace and war. He has interviewed a wide range of US policymakers including Jared Kushner, Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Donald Rumsfeld, Robert Gates, and many others.
Dr. Foukara has also been a frequent voice in the US media and other venues where he skillfully translates the complexity of politics and culture of the Middle East to American audiences. He is exceptionally well versed in the complex nature of relations between the United States and the Middle East region. His long experience in journalism in the United States has also given him a unique perspective on the US media scene and where it connects with or diverges from its counterparts elsewhere in the world.
Dr. Foukara hosts and participates with the Council in the production of online affairs programming featuring senior policymakers and thought leaders. He conducts interviews with government officials and representatives and other important figures in international affairs. He participates in the Council’s conferences, leadership forums, and briefings and assists with strategic communications and commentary. He participates in the Council’s educational programs through lectures, mentoring, and discussions with emerging leaders and represents the council at select international fora. Dr. Foukara reflected on the state of U.S.-Arab relations in a memorable keynote address at the Council’s 2024 gala award dinner which can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-nqAPIPl6c.
