If you are a student of global affairs and/or an impassioned political news fan, you’ve likely been reading about the Middle East. The Middle East is a large transcontinental region that encapsulates eighteen different countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, and finally Israel. The Middle East was a massive point of contention during the Bush Jr. years here in the United States and now the region is once again in focus. To stay updated on all trending affairs in the Middle East, you will want to consult with the work of the following policy experts, journalists, and scholars.
1) Amir Handjani – When it comes time to stay up-to-date on the news in the Middle East, writers like Handjani do a great job of helping out. Handjani is a writer for Reuters, Bloomberg News, and POLITICO among other publications. The seasoned journalist is a Security Fellow with the Truman Project and his focus is largely on energy and national security concerns. Recently, Handjani has made a name for himself by covering the Iran Nuclear Deal that has been under fire since the beginning of President Trump’s first term. Handjani has gone in-depth regarding the Iran Nuclear Deal as often as anybody else in the industry.
2) Madawi al-Rasheed – Sometimes the most informative individuals are those who have their skin in the game. Madawi al-Rasheed is a Saudi Arabian professor who was born in Paris to a descendant of the Rashidi dynasty. Shortly after she was born, Madawai and her family relocated to Saudi Arabia. Madawi lost her Saudi nationality after publicly criticizing the Saudi Arabian government. She is a Visiting Research Professor at the National University of Singapore within their Middle East Institute. Madawi has published over a dozen books covering Saudi Arabia, the Rashidi family, as well as the perspective of modern Islam.
3) Fawaz Gerges – While certainly a lesser-known individual to mainstream media consumers, Fawaz Gerges has made a name for himself as a Professor of Middle East Politics and International Relations. Gerges currently teaches at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Gerges was born in Beirut, Lebanon. Gerges watched as his town was destroyed by militants. His family fled the region to take shelter in Syria before eventually relocated to the United States. Gerges is a prolific educator when it comes to topics pertaining to American intervention in the Middle East, Al Qaeda, and the power and influence behind groups like ISIS. Gerges is a frequent contributor to mainstream networks like Al Jazeera, BBC, ABC, CNN, and CBS.
4) Rashid Khalidi – Rounding out our list of Middle East political experts and scholars is Rashid Khalidi. Rashid Khalidi is a Palestinian American scholar who covers the Middle East extensively at Columbia University. Khalidi also serves works for the School of International and Public Affairs at the Middle East Institute of Columbia. Khalidi has done extensive academic work covering the history and rise of the modern Middle East. Khalidi currently works as the editor for the Journal of Palestine Studies.
