Our Mission
To enhance peace, security, and people-to-people ties between the US and the Middle East by providing actionable foreign policy recommendations, rich cultural and educational programming, and opportunities for dialogue, engagement and exchange.
Our Story
In 1946, inspired by his experiences in the Middle East prior to World War II, architect and veteran George Camp Keiser gathered a group of scholars, ambassadors, professors, and politicians to establish an institution for the study of the Middle East. Keiser and his colleagues envisioned a center of learning where leaders from disparate fields could converge and collaborate in order, in the words of our corporate charter, “to increase knowledge of the Middle East among citizens of the United States and to promote a better understanding between the peoples of these two areas.”
Our Work
The Middle East Institute is leading the way for a new kind of think tank: one that thrives on the intersection of policy and culture. Our centers reflect our dedication to promoting understanding of the region through a wider lens.
Policy Center
A source for non-partisan expert analysis seeking solutions to the region’s most challenging issues
Education
Educational resources and professional development services to foster regional understanding
Arts & Culture Center
D.C.’s only gallery dedicated to contemporary and modern art from the Middle East
Our Leadership
Amb. (ret.) Stuart E. Jones
President
Susan E. Saxton
Chief Operating Officer
Kenneth M. Pollack
Vice President for Policy
Kate Seelye
Vice President for Arts & Culture
Amb. (ret.) Yael Lempert
Vice President for Outreach
Courtney Lobel
Chief Development Officer
Rick Somarriba
Chief Financial OfficerOur Board of Governors
Gen. (ret.) John Abizaid
Chairman
Thomas J. Campbell
Vice Chair
Annual Reports
The Middle East Institute makes available its annual audited financial information including contributions, Form 990, financial statements, and annual reports. For more information about the Middle East Institute's funding, visit our Public Disclosures and Funding page, or click here to learn about our intellectual independence and donor policies.