Public Affairs Briefings

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.

For Webinars from 2020 – 2022, please visit the NCUSAR YouTube Page
December 19, 2024
Lebanon, Syria, and Israel in Context: A Conversation with H.E. Walid Jumblatt

VIDEO VIDEO

Featured Specialists:

H.E. Walid Jumblatt – Prominent Lebanese Politician and Leader

Moderator:

Col. Abbas Dahouk (U.S.-Army Retired) – Board Member, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, Principle, HyphenPoint LLC

December 11, 2024
What Lies Ahead for Syria

VIDEO VIDEO

Featured Specialists:

Col. Abbas Dahouk (U.S.-Army Retired) – Board Member, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations
Principle, Hyphen Point LLC

Mr. Charles Glass – Author, Journalist, Broadcaster, and Publisher

Dr. Neil Quilliam – Associate Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham House

Dr. Fadi Hilani – Senior Academic and Research Fellow-in-Residence, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

Moderator:

Dr. William Lawrence – Director of the North Africa Area Studies and Senior Academic Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

September 12, 2024
Navigating the U.S. Policy in Syria: Challenges, Opportunities, and a Path Forward

VIDEO VIDEO

Featured Specialists:

Amb. James F. Jeffrey – Chair of the Middle East Program, Slater Family Distinguished Fellow, Wilson Center

Dr. Neil Quilliam – Associate Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham House

Mr. Ghassan Hitto – Co-Founder, Chairman, and President, Syrian Forum USA

Moderator:

Dr. Fadi Hilani – Senior Academic and Research Fellow-in-Residence, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

Welcome & Introduction:

Mr. H. Delano Roosevelt – President & CEO – National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

July 31, 2024
Examining Saudi Arabia’s Global Humanitarian Aid & Relief Programs

VIDEO VIDEO

Featured Specialists:

H.E. Mohammed Al-Hadhrami, Ambassador of The Republic of Yemen to the United States

Moderator:

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

Welcome & Introduction:

Mr. H. Delano Roosevelt – President & CEO – National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

June 13, 2024
Middle East Update at Mid-Year 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. Patrick Mancino, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Executive Vice President and Director of Development.

April 30, 2024
A U.S.-Yemen Case Study in Safeguarding Antiquities and Cultural Heritage Amidst Conflict

VIDEO VIDEO

Featured Specialists:

H.E. Mohammed Al-Hadhrami, Ambassador of The Republic of Yemen to the United States

Mr. Timothy Lenderking, United States Special Envoy for Yemen

Ms. Tess Davis, Executive Director of the Antiquities Coalition

Dr. Jeremie Schiettecatte, Research Fellow at the French National Centre for Scientific Research and Visiting Research Scholar at the New York University Institute for Study of the Ancient World

Mr. Abderrahim Foukara, Bureau Chief of Al Jazeera Washington, D.C., and host of “Min Washington”

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

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

Panelists:

Sami Hamdi, Managing Director of The International Interest
Colonel (Ret.) Abbas K. Dahouk, Member of the Board of Directors of the National Council on U.S. Arab Relations, Founder and President of HyphenPoint LLC

Moderated by:

Marwa Ghumrawi, WCYS 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:

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.

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

Context Provider:

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

Featured Specialists:

Dr. 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 Specialists:

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:

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.

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 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.

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

VIDEO VIDEO
MP3 AUDIO AUDIO

Context Provider:

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

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; Azal Advisors Energy and Environmental Security Advisor.

For Webinars from 2020 – 2022

Please visit the NCUSAR YouTube Page

Explore expert discussions on U.S.-Arab relations with NCUSAR’s Public Affairs Briefings. Watch webinars from 2020-2022 featuring renowned specialists analyzing key issues shaping the Middle East, the Islamic world, and U.S. foreign policy.