MEI Events

Latest Episodes:

Lebanese Elections Part One: The Countdown May 26, 2022

Show notes

On May 15, Lebanon goes to the polls for its first parliamentary elections since the 2019 protest movement, the financial and socio-economic collapse, and the Beirut port explosion. Join the Middle East Institute for a two-part webinar series before and after this long-awaited political milestone.

Key questions that will be explored include: What is the Lebanese political and electoral landscape like today? Will elections bring about the change many Lebanese have hoped for, or will establishment parties consolidate power? Who are the biggest winners and losers? From a US foreign policy perspective, what to make of the results? What will the days and months after the elections look like for Lebanon and what should international observers pay particular attention to?

Speakers:
Rony Al Assaad
Secretary-General, Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE)
Philippe Nassif
Program Director for the Middle East and North Africa, National Democratic Institute (NDI)
Randa Slim
Senior Fellow and Director of the Conflict Resolution and Track II Dialogues Program, Middle East Institute
Paul Salem, moderator
Senior Fellow and Vice President of Policy, Middle East Institute

Book Talk | Rebuilding Arab Defense: US Security Cooperation in the Middle East May 26, 2022

Show notes

After decades of U.S. military assistance in the Middle East — providing expensive weapons systems and conducting military exercises — why are the military capabilities of U.S. allies in the region still lacking? Why does it matter? And what can be done to remedy the status quo?
In Rebuilding Arab Defense, Bilal Y. Saab addresses these vexing questions through four in-depth case studies: Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates. Identifying the pitfalls of diverse assistance programs, Saab convincingly demonstrates the importance of institution building in efforts to achieve effective security cooperation in a region that remains of great strategic significance.
Speakers:
Bilal Y. Saab, Author
Senior Fellow and Founding Director of the Defense and Security Program, MEI
Kenneth Pollack, Discussant
Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
Anne Patterson, Discussant
Kissinger Senior Fellow, Jackson Institute for Global Affairs at Yale University
Missy Ryan, Moderator
Reporter, The Washington Post

Education in Tunisia: Current Challenges and Opportunities May 04, 2022

Show notes

The Middle East Institute's (MEI) North Africa and Sahel Program and the North African Policy Initiative (NAPI) are excited to announce a six-part roundtable series through which Tunisian youth will examine key policy issues affecting their country. The series will consist of livestreamed discussions. Each roundtable will allow engaged Tunisian youth to present their observations and perspective on the policy issue as it presents itself in Tunisia. The inaugural roundtable will highlight education challenges and opportunities.

In 2021, a region-wide poll found that 77% of respondents were dissatisfied with education - more than in any other country in North Africa, and for a reason. In the years following Tunisia’s independence in 1956, large investments in, and reform of education made it an asset that distinguished the country from others in the region and granted a real opportunity for social promotion. Nowadays, after years of neglect and an unordered development of private education that followed the 2011 revolution, education has largely become a liability and a mechanism that institutionalizes social inequality. Nowadays, education represents an increasing cost for families that can afford it, and a decreasing value for those who cannot. How did we get here? During this policy-oriented roundtable discussion, engaged Tunisian youth will provide their perspective, and will shed light on challenges and opportunities related to education in Tunisia.

Speakers:

Nourjahen Gala-Ali

Mehdi Cherif

Mariem Bchir

Walid Hedidar

Jean-Louis Romanet Perroux, moderator

Intissar Fakir, co-host

Innovations in Climate Resilience: Restoring the World’s Mangrove Forests May 04, 2022

Show notes

Innovations in Climate Resilience is a new event series hosted by MEI's Climate and Water Program. The series showcases different practical applications that address climate change vulnerability in the MENA region.

Mangrove forests are a surprising superstar for conservation efforts globally. This cost-effective and low-maintenance “super tree” efficiently sequesters blue carbon and is a natural alternative for storing CO2.

Blue Forest, a UAE-based ‘blue carbon’ specialist, is working to implement large-scale mangrove forest restoration world wide. Using technological innovations, Blue Forest seeks to rehabilitate and expand mangrove populations with the goal of sequestering 1 million tons of CO2 by 2024. They are already well on their way and their latest effort saw over 700,000 mangrove seedlings planted with a survival rate of 80%.

Join Vahid Fotuhi, the founder and CEO of Blue Forest, and Mohammed Mahmoud, Senior Fellow and director of MEI’s Climate and Water Program, for a robust discussion on the future of Blue Forest, mangrove carbon sequestration, and innovative efforts to build climate resilience in the MENA region.

Speakers:

Vahid Fotuhi
Vahid Fotuhi is the Founder and CEO of Blue Forest, a leading UAE project developer focused on mangrove forest restoration. Previously, Vahid was Vice President for Middle East and Africa for SOURCE Global, a solar powered water technology company backed by Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos. Vahid’s nature-based infrastructure experience is rooted in his role as Managing Director of Access Power, a developer of clean energy assets. During his six years at Access he originated, developed and helped secure financing for solar and wind power projects in 12 countries, delivering over $600m worth of clean energy projects to millions of people.

Mohammed Mahmoud
Mohammed Mahmoud is the director of the Climate and Water Program and a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. His areas of expertise include climate change adaptation, water policy analysis, and scenario planning. Previously, Mohammed was a senior policy analyst with the Central Arizona Water Conservation District, where he provided research, modeling, and analysis on inter-state Colorado River Basin programs and binational water issues between the United States and Mexico. In addition, he is a faculty associate with Arizona State University.

Report Launch: Forecasting Growth in the Middle East and North Africa in Times of Uncertainty Apr 26, 2022

Show notes

The Middle East Institute (MEI) is pleased to host the World Bank for the launch and presentation of its latest Middle East and North Africa Economic Update, a twice-yearly forecast that looks at growth prospects for the region. This latest edition, titled Reality Check: Forecasting Growth in the Middle East and North Africa in Times of Uncertainty, highlights that uncertainty reigns with compounding risks from ongoing variants of COVID-19 to inflationary pressure added by the war in Ukraine. The region faces uneven growth, with rising food and energy prices hitting the poor hardest.

Economic forecasting is a valuable tool, particularly during times of uncertainty. The new World Bank report delves into the accuracy of growth forecasts in MENA over the past decade, finding that these forecasts have often been over-optimistic. Hear more about how accurate and transparent data can reduce the uncertainty of forecasts and help policymakers as they prepare to cope with future shocks.

This event kicks off with opening remarks by MEI’s president and the World Bank’s vice president for the MENA region, followed by a presentation on the latest report. Next, the World Bank’s chief economist for the MENA region will join MEI’s senior fellow and director of the Program on Economics and Energy for a fireside chat to discuss what lies ahead for the region’s economies.

Speakers:

Ferid Belhaj
Vice president, Middle East and North Africa, World Bank

Roberta Gatti
Chief economist, Middle East and North Africa, World Bank

Paul Salem
President, MEI

Karen Young, moderator
Senior fellow and director, Program on Economics and Energy, MEI

MEI Defense Leadership Series: Episode 17 with Congressman Mike Waltz Apr 26, 2022

Show notes

Created in June 2020, MEI’s Defense Leadership Series is a speakers' forum for current and former high-level military and defense leaders from both the United States and the Middle East to discuss the most important policy issues facing the two sides. The Series was inaugurated on June 10 with a conversation with U.S. Marine Corps General and Commander of CENTCOM Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr.

In this episode, MEI Senior Fellow and Director of the Defense and Security Program Bilal Y. Saab speaks with Florida Congressman Mike Waltz, a former Green Beret. This conversation will focus on U.S. Middle East policy under the Biden administration.

Speaker biography:

Congressman Mike Waltz represents Florida’s 6th congressional district as a proud Florida native, a Colonel in the National Guard, a combat-decorated Green Beret, former White House and Pentagon policy advisor, small business owner and a proud father.

Mike has served his country his entire life. He graduated from the Virginia Military Institute, has served over 24 years in the U.S. Army, and is presently serving in the National Guard. After being commissioned as an Army lieutenant, Mike graduated Ranger School and was then selected for the elite Green Berets, serving worldwide as a decorated Special Forces officer with multiple combat tours in Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa. For his actions in combat, Mike was awarded 4 Bronze Stars and 2 with valor. He is the first Green Beret to be elected to Congress.

Mike’s servant leadership continued in the Pentagon as a defense policy director for Secretaries of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates. Mike then went on to serve in the White House as Vice President Dick Cheney's counterterrorism advisor, where he saw the difficult decisions the President and his Cabinet must make to protect our national security firsthand. Mike’s position in the White House was unique, as he advised the Bush administration on policy he actually carried out in the military.

Following his time in the White House, Mike then co-founded a small business which grew to over 400 employees and was listed on the Inc. 500, a ranking index of the fastest-growing private companies in America.

Breaking the Mold: Can the MENA Region be a Leader in Inclusive Capital? Apr 26, 2022

Show notes

In recent years, MENA has produced increasing numbers of unicorns as international companies like Yahoo, Amazon, and Uber acquire local firms like Maktoob, Souq.com, and Careem. These exits have injected billions into the region’s entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems. The ex-unicorn employees that are founding new generations of businesses and risk capital are defining the startup ecosystem in MENA. Some refer to these networks of ex-employees turned founders and investors as a “mafia” because they resemble an archetype: the “PayPal Mafia.” However, as entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems accelerate across MENA, how can its stakeholders make sure to move beyond that to something that is truly inclusive?
In this panel, we will discuss the evolution of the ecosystem in MENA with a group of founders who are shaping the future of inclusivity in entrepreneurship and innovation.
The panel will reflect on the article "Breaking the Mold: Can the MENA Region be a Leader in Inclusive Capital?" written by Dina Sherif and Regie Maurcio from the Legatum Center at MIT for MEI’s publication Thinking MENA Futures.

Speakers:

Mona Ataya
CEO and founder, Mumzworld.com

Fadi Ghandour
Executive chairman, Wamda Group

Regie Jesus Miacrucis Mauricio
Research manager, Legatum Center, MIT

Mohamed Okasha
Founder and managing partner, DisrupTech

Hadeer Shalaby
Managing director, Talabat

Dina Sherif (moderator)
Executive director, Legatum Center, MIT; co-founder, Ahead of the Curve

Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine and Implications for Black Sea Security Apr 05, 2022

Show notes

Over one month into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, this panel discussion will assess the strategic situation in Ukraine and its implications for Black Sea security. The Kremlin’s atrocities in Ukraine have led to millions of refugees and internationally displaced persons, and to immeasurable destruction. Russia’s invasion has divided the world and united the West. But Russia’s aggression expands far beyond Ukraine and has multiple implications for Black Sea countries. Has the West been effective in curbing Russia’s invasion? How has the war affected Black Sea countries such as Romania, Turkey, and Georgia? What more can the West do in terms of sanctions against Russia and humanitarian and military aid to help Ukraine?

Speakers:

Ret. General Philip Breedlove
Distinguished Chair, Frontier Europe Initiative

Iulia Joja
Director, Frontier Europe Initiative; Project Director, Afghanistan Watch

Dr. Mamuka Tsereteli
Non-resident Scholar, Frontier Europe Initiative

Gonul Tol, moderator
Director of Turkey Program and Senior Fellow, Frontier Europe Initiative

Impacts of Russia/Ukraine Crisis on North Africa's Food and Energy Security Apr 05, 2022

Show notes

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February sent a shock through the global economy. The crisis comes on the heels of disruptions to supply chains and pressure on commodity prices worldwide. For countries in North Africa, this has exacerbated economic strains from the COVID-19 pandemic.
How will the Ukraine crisis further impact food security and energy prices in Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco? What are the fiscal and budgetary impacts on these economies and are there feasible solutions to reduce the pressure on citizens?

Please join us for a panel discussion with MEI’s North Africa and Sahel program experts.

Speakers:

Roberta Gatti
Chief Economist of Middle East and North Africa region, World Bank

Geoff Porter
President, North Africa Risk Consulting, Inc.

Michael Tanchum
Non-resident scholar, Economics and Energy program, MEI

Intissar Fakir, moderator
Senior Fellow and Director of Program on North Africa and the Sahel, MEI

Climate Change in MENA: Discussing Targeted Strategies to Address the Implications Apr 05, 2022

Show notes

Mohammed Mahmoud, director of MEI's Climate and Water program, will be hosting an affiliate event during the United Nation's first ever Middle East and North Africa Climate Week. The conference aims to provide an opportunity for a robust discussion on development in the MENA region and the current climate crisis in the hopes of identifying avenues for specific climate action.

The MENA region is highly vulnerable to today's climate change. What are the current climate change impacts for the region? What are the projected climate change impacts for the region? In addition, what are the strategies to curb these impacts from further intensifying? This side event will showcase concrete recommendations for the MENA region contributing to the UN conference's broader solution-based conversation.

Speaker:
Mohammed Mahmoud
Senior Fellow & Director of Climate and Water Program, MEI