The Middle East and North Africa (Mena) Think Tank Forum, co-hosted by the Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council) and the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs (IFI) at the American University of Beirut, concluded successfully in Doha on September 24.
The two-day event brought together leading think tanks from Arab states in the Mena region to address critical challenges impacting the region and to explore strategies for deeper institutional collaboration and to officially launch the Think Tank Network, a statement said.
The forum addressed key issues, including the ongoing war in Gaza, governance crises, macroeconomic instability, and the influence of global powers. Think tank executives from the region explored innovative strategies to tackle the region's most pressing challenges. They also assessed both the opportunities and risks facing think tanks operating within the current landscape.
The forum provided a platform for fostering inter-institutional relationships and enhancing the resilience and collective impact of think tanks in Mena. Participants shared best practices, developed practical plans for future co-operation, and reinforced the importance of a united approach to addressing complex regional issues.
Building on the insights from a roundtable held in February 2023, the forum officially launched the Think Tank Network, a regional collaboration designed to enhance the policy impact of think tanks across Mena. IFI was selected to serve as the network’s secretariat, responsible for co-ordinating activities, facilitating dialogue, and ensuring the implementation of shared objectives across member institutions.
Joseph Bahout, director of IFI, expressed his enthusiasm for the new collaboration. “The launch of the network is a critical step towards building a more connected and impactful think tank community in our region. We look forward to working closely with our partners across Mena to address the shared challenges we face.”
Tarik M Yousef, director of ME Council, added: “This network is a powerful new tool that will allow think tanks to pool their expertise and resources, enabling more effective responses to the complex issues confronting Mena countries.”
Participants agreed on the need for sustained dialogue and ongoing co-ordination. Regular meetings of the Think Tank Network are planned, and the next forum will take place in 2025, building on the outcomes of this event to further strengthen regional co-operation.
Institutions that attended the Mena Think Tank Forum included: Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network; Arab Reform Initiative; Bahrain Center for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (Derasat), Bahrain; Centre de Recherche en Economie Appliquee pour le Developpement (CREAD), Algeria; Centre for Arab Unity Studies, Lebanon; Centre for Mediterranean and International Studies, Tunisia; Center of the Gulf & Arabian Peninsula Studies, Kuwait; College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar; Economic Research Forum, Egypt; Egyptian Center for Economic Studies, Egypt; Gulf Research Center, Saudi Arabia; Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs, Lebanon; Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, Lebanon; Middle East Council on Global Affairs, Qatar; Moroccan Institute for Policy Analysis, Morocco; Policy Center for the New South, Morocco; Politics and Society Institute, Jordan; Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies, Yemen; School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, The American University in Cairo, Egypt; Syrian Center for Policy Research; Tawasul, Oman.
