The Middle East Policy Council hosted its annual Welcome to Washington diplomatic training seminar and networking reception this past week on Thursday, October 24, 2024, in Washington, D.C. This program empowers newly arriving diplomats with the knowledge and resources needed to navigate, network, and influence Washington’s complex environment.
The 2024 edition of the training seminar featured three panels exclusive to diplomats: “Congress & Foreign Policy,” “The Executive Branch,” and “Private Sector & Civil Society.” We are excited to be able to facilitate such a high-caliber set of seminars, which included analysis of the impact of the 2024 elections and insight into developing partnerships with nongovernmental actors. All-day attendees of the seminar were awarded a “Washington Insiders” Certificate of Completion from the Middle East Policy Council.
The reception connected political, diplomatic, and private industry leaders in U.S.-MENA relations, advancing their abilities to navigate, network, and influence in Washington. Attendees included foreign diplomats, U.S. executive branch leaders, congressional members and staff, think tank experts, academics, journalists, and private industry professionals, as well as members of MEPC’s Board of Directors and 40 Under 40 Awardees.
The Council was honored to present former Representative James “Jim” P. Moran (VA-08) with the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his decades of public service. Known for his bipartisan leadership, he served on the Appropriations, Foreign Affairs, Banking, Housing and Finance, and Government Reform and Oversight committees during his 12 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Congressman Moran’s time in office was characterized by his efforts to work toward peace and against conflict in the Middle East while facing threats to the U.S. head-on, which included spending time in the region to understand the situation on the ground.
We were also honored to recognize Mr. Khalid A. Alwan with the Philanthropist of the Year Award for his decades-long philanthropic efforts, political activism, and contributions to the public understanding of political, economic, and cultural issues affecting U.S. interests in the Middle East and other corners of the globe. He has dedicated over three decades to the real estate industry, with a particular focus on affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families. Mr. Alwan is the official chair of MEPC’s prestigious Capitol Hill Conference series and a thought leader in policy discussions, where he provides fresh perspectives as a business authority.
We want to thank our donors for their generous support that makes this event possible:
- Embassy partners:
- The embassy of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria
- The embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain
- The embassy of the State of Kuwait
- The embassy of the Sultanate of Oman
- The embassy of the State of Qatar
- The embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- The embassy of the United Arab Emirates
- Individual patrons:
- Mr. Khalid A. Alwan
- Mr. Charles Carithers
- Mr. Jamal Nusseibeh
- Ambassador Anne Patterson
We look forward to continuing this program in 2025. For more information and inquiries, please contact MEPC Executive Director Bassima Alghussein at balghussein@mepc.org.
The full photo galleries can be accessed here: Diplomatic Training Seminar and Reception