On July 25, Tunisians will vote on the new constitution drafted by President Kais Saied. The constitutional referendum comes during a difficult economic and political period in Tunisia. Economically, the country is reeling from high inflation, spiking unemployment, as well as sharply elevated commodity prices, and is in desperate need of an IMF deal—which the Tunisian government is currently negotiating. Politically, Kais Saied threw the country’s entire structure into chaos one year ago by suspending parliament and subsequently dissolving the legislature and suspending the constitution, which he has now redrawn to reflect a hyper-presidential system. Please join the Middle East Institute on Thursday, July 21, at 10:00 a.m. EDT, for a panel on the details of the new constitution, the opposition’s reaction to it, and what it means for Tunisia’s political future.  SpeakersZaid Al-AliSenior Advisor, Constitution-Building for the Arab Region, International IDEAMouna Ben HalimaFounder and CEO, Hotel La Badira in HammametRafik HalouaniGeneral Coordinator, MourakibounIntissar Fakir, moderator Senior Fellow and Director, North Africa and Sahel Program, MEI

Russia’s war against Ukraine is the largest military conflict Europe has seen since World War II, with 15 million people displaced and thousands of civilian casualties. Russia has waged a war of destruction not just against Ukraine, but also against the world. For months Moscow has prevented the export of Ukrainian grain that countries in the Middle East and Africa depend on. Half of the World Food Programme’s grain comes from Ukraine, meaning the Russian blockade has affected international humanitarian relief efforts. The devastating consequences of food shortages and increased prices are being felt around the world, leading to a heightened risk of famine in the coming months.How is Russia waging a grain war in the Black Sea region? How are food shortages impacting Middle East countries that depend on Ukrainian grain? What role does the Crimean Peninsula play in Russia’s blockade? What can the international community do to ease the food crisis and prevent a major famine?SpeakersMirette Mabrouk Senior Fellow and Founding Director, Egypt Program, Middle East Institute Tamila TashevaPermanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in CrimeaMaria TomakCoordinator of the Media Initiative for Human Rights in UkraineIulia Joja, moderatorDirector, Frontier Europe Initiative; Project Director, Afghanistan Watch, Middle East Institute

The UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP27) will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt in November. With the ever-clearer impact of climate change being brought home the world over, each successive COP takes on greater urgency. Last year’s event, COP26 in Glasgow, in the United Kingdom, was felt by climate change activists to have fallen short of what was needed for meaningful progress on this critical issue. This year, Egypt is the host and there has been a stated emphasis on the importance of adaptation, mitigation, and financial support for climate change work. What does it mean for an emerging economy to host this conference? What are the organizers hoping to achieve? And what are the stakes for emerging economies, which have contributed so little to climate change but are bearing the brunt of its impact?SpeakersAmbassador Mohamed Nasr Director of the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development Department, Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sarah El-Battouty Non-resident Scholar, MEI; CEO, ECOnsult; UNFCCC Global Ambassador Hani SewilamProfessor, Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, American University in CairoMirette F. Mabrouk, moderator Senior Fellow and Founding Director of the Egypt Program, MEI

President Joe Biden makes a four-day trip to the Middle East this coming week where he will meet leaders of the region to discuss a long list of issues including regional security, Iran, Israeli-Palestinian relations and global economic and energy dynamics, among other issues. What can we expect from this visit, and how might it impact trends within the region and the impact the Middle East has on broader geopolitical dynamics?SpeakersKhaled ElgindySenior Fellow and Director, Program on Palestine and Palestinian-Israeli AffairsMick MulroyNon-Resident Senior Fellow, Defense and Security ProgramAlex VatankaDirector, Iran Program; Senior Fellow, Frontier Europe InitiativeKaren YoungSenior Fellow and Director, Program on Economics and EnergyBrian Katulis, moderatorVice President of Policy and Senior FellowFive Key Takeaways President Biden should focus on energy security over oil production: Karen Young recommended that President Biden should not ask Saudi Arabia to break with its OPEC+ partners and exhaust global spare capacity. Rather, the United States should focus on building a long-term energy partnership with the Gulf states to meet the broader needs of an emerging-market energy transition. However, this is an unlikely scenario since the trip agenda will likely focus on security matters.The United States must remain consistent in its regional partnerships: Mick Mulroy argued that human rights should be an integral aspect of American foreign policy. In order to protect human rights on an international scale, the United States must remain a consistent partner to its foreign allies, including Saudi Arabia. This imperative has become more important as Russia and China continue to expand their reach in the Middle East. The Biden visit will uphold the status quo in Palestine and Israel: Khaled Elgindy explained that President Biden has not done enough to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution for Palestine and Israel and that the Palestinian leg of Biden’s visit is ancillary. Biden has made little breaks with the Trump administration’s Palestine-Israel policy. On the other hand, the Israel leg is central to the trip since Israeli regional integration is one of Biden’s main goals. Iran does not hold high expectations for Biden’s visit: Alex Vatanka described that Tehran does not expect that Biden’s visit will result in the creation of a Middle Eastern NATO with Iran as its key nemesis, nor that the Arab Gulf states will become direct participants of the nuclear negotiations. However, Tehran feels threatened by the prospect of a U.S.-led integrated defense system and will lash out if the idea gains traction. Normalization is on the agenda, but don't expect major steps this visit: The scholars concurred that a key goal of the trip is to push normalization with Israel in the region, especially in pursuit of a collaborative security system. Young explained that there are already major regional initiatives including Israel on the energy front, especially regarding Eastern Mediterranean gas. Vatanka assured that Iran will not cut its budding relationships with Saudi Arabia and the UAE if normalization with Israel progresses further. However, it is unlikely that any formal commitments will materialize.

Four months have passed since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it has had wide-ranging implications for geopolitical and geo-economic trends in the Middle East. The war could lead to the emergence of new strategic vacuums in conflict zones across the region while reshaping Russian relations with energy players in the Middle East, including Iran. Beyond the immediate assumption that the war will create new opportunities for cooperation between revisionist powers like Iran and Russia, it has also given rise to new potential conflicts of interest. In the second in a series of events dedicated to analyzing the implications of the war in Ukraine on Russia-Iran relations, the Middle East Institute (MEI) will bring together a panel of experts to provide a detailed picture of how the war might create new areas of competition and rifts between Moscow and Tehran. Renowned experts will discuss key questions, including: What do Moscow’s adjustments in Syria mean for Tehran, and how might they impact bilateral cooperation? How does Moscow see the future of its energy policy, and how could that affect relations with Iran? Can ideological and identity factors compensate for the security and economic conflicts of interest that the war has created between Moscow and Tehran? Speakers: Jakub M. GodzimirskiProfessor at Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI)Diana GaleevaVisiting Fellow, Oxford UniversityHamidreza AziziCATS Fellow, SWP BerlinAbdolrasool Divsallar, moderatorNon-resident Scholar at MEI

Ahead of Turkey’s 2023 elections, a six-party opposition bloc is working together to unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) and restore the country’s parliamentary system. This comes against the backdrop of a growing economic crisis as public opinion polls show support for the president and the AKP is falling. How reliable are these polls? Can the opposition beat Erdoğan? What is its election strategy? Who is most likely to be the bloc’s presidential candidate? Despite the country’s growing economic, political, and social problems and the opposition's efforts to form a unified front, can Erdoğan still win? Please join us on Friday, June 10, at 11:00 am EST to discuss these questions and much more with an excellent expert panel.Speakers:Berk EsenIPC-Stiftung Mercator Fellow, Center for Applied Turkey Studies, German Institute for International and Security Affairs; Assistant Professor of Political Science at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Sabancı University, TurkeyErsin KalaycıoğluSenior Scholar, Istanbul Policy Center; Professor, Sabancı UniversityAli ÇarkoğluProfessor, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey  Gonul Tol, moderatorFounding Director of Turkey Program; Senior Fellow of the Frontier Europe Initiative, MEI

During the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, Turkey has engendered goodwill in the West by serving as a mediator between the two nations. However, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's public warning that Turkey may block Sweden and Finland's bids to join NATO risks destroying that goodwill. How has Russia’s invasion of Ukraine affected Turkey's standing and geopolitical calculations? Has Moscow's military blunder led Ankara to rethink its defense ties with Russia? Is this an opportunity for Turkey to take advantage of a more isolated Russia and advance its interests in places such as Syria and the South Caucasus? What does Erdoğan's stance on Sweden and Finland's bid mean for Turkey's own standing in NATO? Please join us on May 27th at 11.00 am EST to discuss these questions and much more.Speakers:Alper Coşkun Senior fellow, Europe Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace General (Ret.) Philip Breedlove Retired Air Force general and former supreme allied commander for Europe; distinguished professor, Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, Georgia Tech; distinguished chair, Frontier Europe Initiative, MEI Serhat Güvenç Professor of international relations, Kadir Has UniversityGonul Tol, moderatorFounding director, Turkey Program, MEI; senior fellow, Frontier Europe Initiative, MEI

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has had profound consequences for politics across the Middle East, and this is especially true for Russia-Iran relations and security ties. While Tehran initially accepted Moscow’s rationale for the invasion and attempted to show its political support in the United Nations General Assembly, Iran has remained cautious about fully backing the war, even as it seeks to benefit from resulting trade and security opportunities. For its part, however, Moscow initially emerged as a spoiler in attempts to revive the so-called Iran nuclear deal. The Middle East Institute (MEI) is pleased to organize a series of expert panels to shed light on the complex relationship between Russia and Iran. The first panel in the series will bring together renowned experts to discuss key questions, including: How has Iran interpreted the Russian invasion and tried to adjust accordingly? What does Moscow expect from Tehran? How might uncertainties about Russia’s future role in the global order impact Iran's "look to the East” policy, both in general and toward Russia specifically? And how might the war change the foundations of Russia-Iran relations?Speakers:Vali NasrProfessor of Middle East Studies at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International StudiesElaheh KoolaeeProfessor of Political Science and Area Studies at the University of TehranMark KatzProfessor of Government and Politics at George Mason UniversityAlex VatankaDirector of Iran Program and Senior Fellow at MEIAbdolrasool Divsallar Non-resident Scholar at MEI

Speakers:Marwa HaddarMarwa is Vice President Finance and Strategy at Blue Monsoon Capital – a Singapore-based financial advisory and asset management company with regional offices in Dubai and Washington D.C. Her work covers establishment and restructuring of financial institutions, including sovereign wealth funds, and private and public asset management companies. Her work also covers project finance for public-private infrastructure projects in emerging markets and developing countries. Marwa holds a PhD in Finance from Paris-Est Sup University (Paris, France), a master’s degree in Finance and a B.Sc. in Business Studies from IHEC Carthage (Tunis, Tunisia). She conducted research on topics related to the impact of political risk on corporate financial choices, employee welfare and inequality.Intissar HafsiIntissar Hafsi is a senior expert in socio-economic reintegration at Civipol. She has worked as grant officer for Expertise France and for National Democratic Institute. She also coordinated a few projects on green economy for various international and national NGOs. Through her working experiences she has developed a sound knowledge on international regulations, finance and economic governance, international relations, and policy analysis. Mohamed KhelilMr. Mohamed Khelil is Vice President SME Investment at the Tunisian American Enterprise Fund (TAEF) that he joined in May 2016. He has co-founded, in 2021, WeMove a startup in the sports industry. Prior to that, he has worked for 7 years in the Banking industry and had an experience in the Hospitality sector. He graduated from IHEC Carthage and holds an Executive MBA that he successfully completed in 2020. He speaks Arabic, English and French. Pietro Marzo, co-hostPietro Marzo is Assistant Professor at TÈLUQ University (Québec, Canada). He is also Programme Manager at North African Policy Initiative (NAPI) . His research focuses on the international relations of Middle East. His latest academic articles have appeared on Middle East Law and Governance, Third World Quarterly, Cambridge Review of International Affairs and Middle Eastern Studies. He is currently working on a book “International Influences in Tunisian democratization”, under contract with Edinburgh University Press. Intissar Fakir, moderatorIntissar is a senior fellow and director of MEI’s North Africa and Sahel program. She is an expert on North Africa, the Sahel, and key regional thematic issues including governance, social change, migration, and security. She has written extensively on North Africa’s evolving politics including Islamist electoral politics in post-2011 Morocco and Tunisia, the Western Sahara issue, foreign policy priorities in Morocco and the broader region, and the impact of COVID-19 on regional political stability. Her research has also included political transitions, mobilization trends, energy, and social change in Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria, and Tunisia.

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:Joseph BahoutDirector, Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs (IFI) at the American University of Beirut (AUB)Makram OuaissExecutive Director, The Lebanese Center for Policy StudiesMona YacoubianSenior Advisor to the Vice President of Middle East and Africa, United States Institute of Peace (USIP)Joyce Karam, moderatorSenior US Correspondent, The National

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 AssaadSecretary-General, Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE)Philippe NassifProgram Director for the Middle East and North Africa, National Democratic Institute (NDI)Randa SlimSenior Fellow and Director of the Conflict Resolution and Track II Dialogues Program, Middle East InstitutePaul Salem, moderatorSenior Fellow and Vice President of Policy, Middle East Institute

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, AuthorSenior Fellow and Founding Director of the Defense and Security Program, MEIKenneth Pollack, DiscussantSenior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute Anne Patterson, DiscussantKissinger Senior Fellow, Jackson Institute for Global Affairs at Yale University Missy Ryan, Moderator Reporter, The Washington Post

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-AliMehdi Cherif Mariem BchirWalid HedidarJean-Louis Romanet Perroux, moderatorIntissar Fakir, co-host

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 FotuhiVahid 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 MahmoudMohammed 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.

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 BelhajVice president, Middle East and North Africa, World BankRoberta 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

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.

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 AtayaCEO and founder, Mumzworld.comFadi GhandourExecutive chairman, Wamda GroupRegie Jesus Miacrucis MauricioResearch manager, Legatum Center, MITMohamed OkashaFounder and managing partner, DisrupTechHadeer ShalabyManaging director, TalabatDina Sherif (moderator)Executive director, Legatum Center, MIT; co-founder, Ahead of the Curve

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 BreedloveDistinguished Chair, Frontier Europe InitiativeIulia JojaDirector, Frontier Europe Initiative; Project Director, Afghanistan WatchDr. Mamuka TsereteliNon-resident Scholar, Frontier Europe InitiativeGonul Tol, moderatorDirector of Turkey Program and Senior Fellow, Frontier Europe Initiative

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 GattiChief Economist of Middle East and North Africa region, World BankGeoff PorterPresident, North Africa Risk Consulting, Inc.Michael TanchumNon-resident scholar, Economics and Energy program, MEIIntissar Fakir, moderatorSenior Fellow and Director of Program on North Africa and the Sahel, MEI

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 MahmoudSenior Fellow & Director of Climate and Water Program, MEI