The Limits of Recalibrating the U.S.-Saudi Relationship – Virtual Program
April 21st, 2021 12:00PM -1:00PM
This is a virtual program. Instructions on how to join this meeting will be sent the day before the event.
President Joe Biden has moved quickly to recalibrate the U.S. relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, releasing an incriminating intelligence report on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, sanctioning Saudi officials thought to be involved—although not the Crown Prince—and slashing military aid to the kingdom. Biden’s moves, however, have failed to appease many critics of the regime and the country’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The United States is going to need Saudi Arabia’s cooperation on urgent security matters, whether in Yemen or the broader region—so how far can Biden go in revisiting the terms of this strategically important relationship? Join the World Affairs Council on April 21 from 12:00-1:00pm PT/3:00-4:00pm ET for a discussion with Yasmine Farouk, a visiting fellow in the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Kristin Smith Diwan, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, on the future of U.S.-Saudi relations. Cheryl Steele, Vice President of Global Security and Resilience at Starbucks, will moderate.
About the Speakers
Yasmine Farouk studied political science at Cairo University, Sciences Po Paris and was a Fulbright Fellow at Yale University during her postdoctoral studies. Her previous research and publications cover Egyptian and Saudi foreign policies, international relations in the Arab world, and social participation in policy and constitution making. Prior to joining Carnegie, Yasmine was based in Egypt where she taught political science. She previously worked at the office of the Egyptian prime minister after the 2011 revolution supporting civil society participation in the national dialogue and constitution making processes. From 2016 to 2017, she was the director of research at Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (CCCPA), a think tank and training center affiliated with the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Yasmine was a fellow of the French Ministry of Defense, Stanford University, the American University in Cairo (AUC Forum), and the French ministry of foreign affairs. She was also a consultant for the UNDP working on the Arab Human Development report.
At Carnegie, Yasmine’s research focuses on Saudi Arabia and regional foreign relations.
Kristin Smith Diwan is a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. Her current projects concern generational change, nationalism, and the evolution of Islamism in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Her analysis of Gulf affairs has appeared in many publications, among them Foreign Affairs, Financial Times, and The Washington Post.
Diwan was previously an assistant professor at the American University School of International Service and has held visiting scholar positions at the George Washington University and Georgetown University. From 2013-14 she served as a visiting senior fellow at the Atlantic Council where she published on youth movements and participated in the Strategic Dialogue for a New US-Gulf Partnership.
Diwan received her PhD from Harvard University and holds an MA from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. She completed her undergraduate degree at Baylor University in Texas, her home state.
About the Moderator
Cheryl Steele joined Starbucks in 2018 and is the vice president of Global Security & Resilience (chief security officer). Cheryl contributes to Starbucks success by setting the strategic direction that secures all physical assets (retail and non-retail) and ensures the safety of the workforce and customers across Starbucks 40,000 stores in 80 global markets.
The Global Security and Resilience team serves as the functional Center of Excellence for Starbucks, providing business-focused solutions consistent with the company’s strategy. Cheryl advises the leadership team on physical security and safety-related activities and enterprise-wide risk controls and resiliency programs across Starbucks' business units, both company owned and license-operated. Cheryl leads a global team of subject matter experts in physical security, risk intelligence, security technology systems, business resiliency (partner preparedness, crisis management, and business continuity), supply chain security and occupational safety. Based in Seattle, the team includes partners in London, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.
Cheryl brings to Starbucks a history of strategic planning and business management. She started her career as a diplomat with the U.S. Department of State, with overseas assignments in Egypt and Jordan. As a management consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton, Cheryl’s work included engagements on counter-terrorism, U.S. Special Operations and the defense-diplomacy-development nexus, and public private partnerships on global diplomacy and development issues. Later work with the global communications firm Fleishman Hillard and leadership of her own strategic consultancy business included engagements on crisis communications, counter-messaging and strategic planning and communications. Cheryl is a native of Massachusetts and has her MA degree from Columbia University in the City of New York.
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