As the Senior Director for Strategic Outreach at the Middle East Institute (MEI), Firas collaborates with MEI's leadership to oversee strategic engagements crucial to the organization's operations. These engagements involve working with the U.S. administration, Congress, think tanks, and MEI's key partner organizations. Firas is a member of MEI's core leadership team.

Firas is also a Senior Fellow at MEI. He is a recognized expert on the politics of Lebanon and Syria, the geopolitics of the Arab Gulf, and the broader dynamics of the Middle East region. Firas is also an adjunct professor at George Washington University, where he teaches graduate courses on the Middle East at the Elliott School for International Affairs. His writings have appeared in top-tier publications such as the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy Magazine, Foreign Affairs, and the Los Angeles Times. Firas frequently offers expert commentary on U.S. politics and the Middle East for global news networks, including BBC, CNN, CNBC, Al Arabiya, and others. Firas holds a Master of Science in Foreign Service degree, as well as an honors certificate in International Business from Georgetown University. He completed his undergraduate degree in Political Studies at the American University of Beirut.

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Contact Information

Email: fmaksad@mei.edu

Twitter Handle: @FirasMaksad

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