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11 October 2006

A team of American officials headed by Ambassador James Jeffrey, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Department of State, was briefed by the GRC on issues related to the US policy in Iraq, Iran nuclear row, GCC policies toward Iran, and threat perceptions of the GCC countries. Among the other delegates were Aaron Snipe, Iran Office, Department of State, Washington, as well as Jillian Burns, Ramin Asgard, Amy Lenk, and Danusia Hubah from the US Consulate in Dubai.

10 October 2006

Mr Salem Al-Khaldi, Business Development Manager in Saudi-based Invensys, was recognized as a promising "young researcher" by the GRC in response to a research paper - "Education Policies in the GCC States" - he submitted for publication. He was awarded a plaque and $2000 for his effort.

1- Ambassador David Aaron, Director, Center for Middle East Public Policy, RAND Corporation, and a Senior Fellow coordinating counter-terrorism and homeland security research, held talks on the regional issues and possible cooperation between the two institutes.

2- CEO of German Near and Middle East Association (NUMOV) Helene Rang held talks on cooperation with the GRC and discussed the possibility of holding the next NUMOV Board meeting in the UAE. NUMOV is Germany's largest non-profit and independent service provider supporting the bilateral business activities between Germany and the Near and Middle East.

Anthony Richter, Associate Director of New York-based Open Society Institute (OSI), discussed prospects for cooperation with the GRC. The OSI is part of the Soros Foundation and is a private operating and grant-making foundation that seeks to promote the development and maintenance of open societies around the world.

A Dutch team led by Ambassador of the Netherlands to the UAE David P. M. de Waal discussed the regional situation with the experts at the center.

27 May 2006

Kuwaiti Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union Abdulaziz Al-Sharekh held talks to discuss cooperation on issues related to training and research.

A delegation of 16 officers from the National Defence College in New Delhi visited the GRC on 17 May. They were given a two-hour briefing on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), region's international dynamics, security and terrorism issues, and GCC-Asia-India relations.

The aim of the National Defence College is to impart training in national and international security related fields to selected senior defence and civil services officers and to promote research and understanding of various related issues by creating the necessary academic environment for such work.

The IIR is the world's leading knowledge and skills transfer company with a global network of 45 companies and 116 operating units. Every year, the IIR works with business executives providing them with knowledge and skills through training, conferences, seminars, e-Learning, blended solutions, publications, exhibitions, consulting and mentoring.

15 April 2006

A group of marketing students from the UAE University, Al Ain, visited the GRC. Dr. Samaa Taher M. Attia, Assistant Professor at the Department of Business Administration, headed the all-women's delegation. The students were briefed about the activities and programs at the center. Apart from a lecture about the prospects for the GCC financial markets, the students were also told about the nuances of the consultancy business in the academic world.

1 April 2006

Former Pakistani President Farooq Leghari (1993-97) made a courtesy visit to the center during which he discussed regional issues and GCC-Pakistan ties.

27 March 2006

1- A.C. Patankar, Principal Adviser, Confederation of Indian Industry (Mumbai).

2- The Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor at the United States Department of State, Erica J. Barks-Ruggles, discussed regional security issues, especially those pertaining to Iran and Iraq.

26 March 2006

A Dutch delegation comprising Manus J.M. van Diemen, First Secretary at the Dutch Embassy in Abu Dhabi, and Anne Philipps and Matthijs Schroeder from the Ministry of Interior, The Hague, discussed issues related to terrorism and Iran.

26 February 2006

Dr Frederic Launay, Director, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), UAE Project Office, and Environment Adviser to the Secretary-General of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, and Razan Al-Mubarak, Managing Director - Emirates Wildlife Society, and Senior Program Officer at the WWF, UAE, held talks to explore possible areas of cooperation in the field of environment and sustainable development, especially biodiversity in the Gulf region.

23 January, 2006

Director of Geneva Center for Security Policy (GCSP) Ambassador Gerard Stoudmann and Deputy Director of Special Programmes & Management at the GCSP Hrair Balian held talks with the GRC and agreed to conduct a Global Leadership Program beginning in July and cooperate on a training course for Iraqi diplomats to be held in Dubai and Geneva in November. The GRC and GCSP signed a memorandum of understanding in 2004.

15 January, 2006

John Packer, Project Coordinator/Principal Investigator for the Initiative on Conflict Prevention through Quiet Diplomacy, Eli Turk, Chairman of Human Rights Internet - Canada, and Angie Forte, Board Member of Human Rights Internet, held talks on possible areas of cooperation and discussed the idea of the GRC becoming a member of the initiative.

14 January, 2006

Prince Dr. Nayef bin Ahmed bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia and Dr. Tariq M. Al-Salloum, Assistant Professor of Administration and Public Policy, Department of Public Administration, College of Administrative Sciences, and Consultant at the Supreme Economic Council in Saudi Arabia

19 December, 2005

Ambassador David Mack, Vice President of the Middle East Institute (MEI), Washington, and former US envoy to the UAE and former deputy assistant secretary for Near East Affairs, discussed regional developments in Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia, as well as the US policy in the region. The possibility of expanding the relationship between the GRC and MEI, starting with a Dubai-Washington roundtable discussion via videoconference was also discussed.

18 December, 2005

1- Justin Holbrook, Director of Econova - an Australian organization committed to achieving sustainable urban development - and David Lewis, General Manager - Middle East, discussed promoting long-term conditions for sustainable development and environmental awareness in the Gulf region and the Australian/Pacific region. The two organizations signed a memorandum of understanding to specifically collaborate on water and energy technology solutions.

2- Chairman of Sharjah Economic Development Sheikh Tariq Bin Faisal Al-Qassimi held discussions with the GRC to explore possible areas of cooperation.

13 December, 2005

A group of 25 women students from the UAE University, Al Ain, were introduced to the center's research programs, including the women's issues, GCC economics, GCC-EU relations and Security and Terrorism portals, as well the Gulf in the Media sites. The visit was organized as part of the GRC's efforts to inculcate the spirit of research and higher education among the youth, as well as educate them about the new techniques that are becoming available in the educational sector in the region, especially via the Web media.

Singapore's Consul-General Dileep Nair discussed the possibility of the GRC cooperating with research institutes in Singapore and furthering the Asian-Middle East Dialogue.

12 December, 2005

Indian Ambassador to the UAE Chandra Mohan Bhandari held talks with the GRC on a range of issues, including GCC-India relations and New Delhi's stand on Iran's nuclear program, as well as the instability in Iraq. As the GCC and India head for talks on a free trade agreement and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia prepares to visit India in January 2006, it was emphasized that the GCC-India engagement should grow beyond the political and economic dimensions to include security cooperation as well.

11 December, 2005

Dr. Heinz Hoffman, Executive Director of GTZ International Services, Germany, and Dr. Bernhard Dohle, GTZ Gulf Region Office Resident Representative held follow-up discussions with the GRC about signing a memorandum of understanding to establish a Gulf Development Program. Both sides agreed on the modalities of cooperation.

30 November, 2005

Ambassador Hamid Ansari, Distinguished Fellow, West and Central Asia Program, Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi, discussed issues related to Iraq and the possibility of conducting a joint GCC-India workshop in 2006.

28 November, 2005

1- Prof. Dr. Jurgen Gramke, Director of the Institute for European Affairs in Germany, discussed cooperation possibilities between the two organizations with regard to improving GCC-EU relations.

2- Veteran Indian print and television journalist Saeed Naqvi exchanged views on reforms in the GCC countries, developments in Iraq, US policies in the region and GCC-India relations, especially in the realm of energy security.

22 November, 2005

Ambassador of Sweden Bruno S. Beijer's interaction focused on regional developments and cooperation between the GRC and Swedish institutes/government bodies in various areas, including environmental issues.

21 November, 2005

Iraq Defense Minister Dr. Sadoun Al-Dulaimi was briefed about the GRC's activities in general and Iraq in particular. Dr. Dulaimi was presented a copy of the Arabic version of Military Balance, a journal published by the London-based International Institute of Strategic Studies and translated by the GRC.

Military Balance is the premier source of analysis, factual data, and information on global defense capabilities and trends, which the GRC is making available in Arabic for the first time in the region as part of its information dissemination program.

16 November, 2005

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Scott Carpenter took part in one of the sessions of the workshop on 'political reforms in GCC countries' organized jointly by the GRC and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The US official briefed the participants about the developments at the 'Forum for the Future' meeting in Manama and also sought to clarify doubts about the US reform plan in the region.

20 October, 2005

Dr Habib El Habr, Director of the United Nations Environment Program Regional Office for West Asia, and Mr Ibrahim Al Zubi, UAE Coordinator of the Global Civil Society Forum (GCSF) and Director, Environment Research, Emirates Diving Association, held discussions about GRC's participation at the 7th GCSF to be held in Dubai in February 2006 ahead of the 9th Special Session of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum.

A South African delegation headed by Minister of Trade and Industry Mandisi Mpahlwa and Ambassador Dikgang Moopeloa held discussions on improving business ties between the GCC countries and the African country. The GRC, in its capacity as an independent think tank, briefed the delegation that in terms of economic challenges, both the GCC countries and South Africa share the common problem of dealing with growing unemployment. Among the other areas of trade identified for possible consideration to further GCC-South African commercial relations were the minerals, petrochemicals, financial, and real estate sectors. It was also suggested that South African companies could attract GCC capital by way of issuing Islamic bonds, which are extremely popular with GCC investors.

South Korean Ambassador to the UAE Joon Jae Lee held discussions to explore the possibility of the GRC acting as the co-sponsor of the "Korea-Middle East Cooperation Forum" organized by the Korean Institute of International Economic Policy (KIEP), which is affiliated to the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The third edition of this forum is likely to be held in Dubai later this year.

Marcus Noland, senior fellow at the Washington-based International Institute of Economics, presented his research findings on "The Middle East in the world economy" and elicited comments from GRC researchers and other invited experts. Noland's project is a joint venture with Howard Pack of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

A group of students from American University in Washington, on a one month visit to the American University of Sharjah, visited the Gulf Research Center for a briefing on the center's activities and the Gulf region. GRC researchers made presentations on regional security, foreign relations, economic and social issues, including women's rights.

Dr. John Duke Anthony, President and CEO of the National Council on US-Arab Relations, expressed interest and explored possible areas of cooperation between the two institutions.

Prof. Steve Ott, Department of Political Science, College of Social and Behavioral Science, The University of Utah, USA.

A delegation from Zayed University in Dubai - comprising of Dr. Jane Bristol-Thys, Director, Institute of Applied Social Research, Dr. David McGlennon, Director, Research and Outreach, Prof. Kenneth Wilson of the College of Business Sciences and Dr Naseer Arif - held preliminary discussions with the GRC about possible areas of cooperation and collaboration between the two institutions, especially in the sphere of information dissemination.

22 May, 2005

A delegation from the American University of Sharjah (AUS) comprising of Chancellor Winfred L. Thompson, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Robert D. Cook, Associate Professor of Political Science and International Studies and Chairperson of the Department of International Studies Nada Mourtada-Sabbah and Assistant Professor of History and International Studies James Onley finalized the details of a memorandum of understanding between the GRC, AUS and the University of Exeter.

A 12-member delegation comprising officers from the United States Armed Forces, civilian executives of the American administration and staff affiliated to the National Defense University in Washington visited the center as part of their educational field trip to the Gulf region. The delegation, which is affiliated to a post-graduate degree program in international relations, was briefed about the latest political and security developments in the region.

South African Foreign Minister, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, visited the center and addressed a press conference on Gulf, Middle East and African issues. Dr. Zuma - former health minister and the first woman to head the foreign ministry in democratic South Africa - was in the UAE as part of a week-long tour of the Gulf region, during which she also visited Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Yemen. Apart from strengthening bilateral political, economic and cultural relations with the region, where more than 32,000 South Africans live, the minister's interaction focused on issues pertaining to multilateralism, poverty eradication, peace and stability, as well as the rule of law.

Muhammad Al-Rasheed, former Saudi education minister who served in office until February 2005, reviewed the progress made by GRC in its role as an education provider. Several proposals on how to improve the education system in the region were discussed.

26 April, 2005

A group of 30 women students from Zayed University visited the GRC, accompanied by three faculty members - Dr. Kenneth Wilson, Marielle Patronis and Evelyn Seika. The foundation level students were introduced to the center's research programs, including the women's issues, GCC economics, GCC-EU relations and Security and Terrorism portals, as well the Gulf in the Media sites. The visit was organized as part of the GRC's efforts to inculcate the spirit of research and higher education among the youth, as well as educate them about the new techniques that are becoming available in the educational sector in the region, especially via the Web media.

26 April, 2005

Director of the Studies and Research Center for the Arab and Mediterranean World in Geneva, Switzerland, Hansi Abidi held discussions with the GRC staff on exploring ways of possible cooperation. The non-government organization was originally part of Geneva University, but is now an independent and separate entity.

23 April, 2005

Professor Rodney Wilson of the Institute for Middle East and Islamic Studies, University of Durham, and an expert on GCC economies as well as Islamic finance discussed future avenues of cooperation and collaboration between the two research institutes. Currently Emilie Rutledge, a PhD research candidate supervised by Prof. Wilson, is pursuing her fieldwork on the GCC currency union from the GRC.

A team of over 25 energy experts from the International Council on Large Electric Systems (CIGRE) specializing in technical, economic, environmental, organizational and regulatory aspects visited the Center. A non-profit institution, the Regional Committee for Large Electric Systems (GCC-CIGRE) is an affiliate of CIGRE located in Paris and is mainly devoted to encourage and develop scientific researches and studies in the field of Electricity Systems. The delegation was headed by Dr. Ibrahim Al-Hamoudi, CIGRE Board member and Chairman of the CIGRE Technical Committee. GRC proposes to work jointly with GCC-CIGRE in the electricity sector and other related areas.

10 April,2005

Prof. Dr. Dieter Lenzen, President of the Free University of Berlin (FUB), and Prof. Dr. Klaus-Dieter Segbers, Professor of Political Science at the FUB, discussed about the status of higher education in the Gulf and the possibilities for German universities in the UAE, as well as setting up a master's degree program on Global Politics in the country.

A delegation of Iraq academics, which participated in the Iraq symposium organized by GRC, visited the center and was briefed about its activities. They team was introduced to the various sources of information available and ways of accessing the same.

Oliver Juetersonke, Research Coordinator of the Program for Strategic and International Security Studies and Achim Wennmann, Project Coordinator in the Program for the Study of International Organizations at the Geneva Graduate Institute of International Studies discussed institutional relations and considered cooperation possibilities with GRC.

Australian Ambassador to the UAE Noel Campbell and Steve Pinhorn, Senior Middle East and Africa Analyst at the Office of National Assessments of the Australian Government discussed regional developments, with specific focus on Iraq.

Ambassador Bernard Savage, Head of the Delegation of the European Commission for GCC States based in Saudi Arabia, discussed the GCC-EU Research program at the GRC and ways of future cooperation, including the EU's support for the Executive Learning Program on the EU that the center is scheduled to conduct in September.

21 March, 2005

A distance-learning student delegation pursuing a course in Gulf politics from the University of Southern Denmark made an informational visit to the center. The group, consisting of 36 professionals associated with different vocations and disciplines, was headed by Dr Lars Erslev Andersen, Associate Professor at the Department of Middle East Studies, and Soren Hove, a PhD scholar and resident at the Centre for Contemporary Middle East Studies at the university. The group is likely to use GRC resources to further their academic pursuits. The visit was the second interaction with the university after Dr. Martin Hvidt spent time at the GRC as part of a research fellowship in January.

A four-member Angolan delegation headed by Deputy Minister for Geology and Minerals Dr. Mankenda Ambroise visited the center to receive a regional briefing. Among the others were Consul-General Rui Jorge Carneiro Manguiera and President of the Angolan National Private Investment Agency Carlos Antonio Fernandes. The officials expressed interest in exploring ways to establish institutional cooperation with GRC-like organizations in Angola.

13 March, 2005

Professor of Political Science at Zayed University in the UAE Nasser Abed, Assistant to the President of Brigham Young University in Hawaii, USA, Dr. Gerrit Gong and Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Zayed University Jeffrey Belnap held introductory talks with GRC on possible cooperation in the future.

13 March, 2005

Director-General of Al-Arabiya Abdul Rahman Rashed held talks on cooperation between the TV channel and GRC, particularly in the field of content enhancement for both institutions.

27 February, 2005

Dr.Theodore W. Karasik, a political scientist and expert on Iraq, Gulf national security and terrorism at Rand Corporation, California, was on a research visit specifically related to tribal politics in the region, which is part of an ongoing research project.

27 February, 2005

Director of Middle East Forum at the New-York based Council on Foreign Relations Judith Kipper held discussions on establishing relations, including the possible visit of President of the Council Richard Haass to GRC.

Director of United Nations University/International Network on Water, Environment and Health (UNU/INWEH) Dr. Ralph J. Daley and Assistant Director of Program Development at UNU/INWEH Dr. Zafar Adeel held talks with GRC to finalize details of joint projects.

Military Adviser at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo Major General (Retd.) Dr Mohamed Kadry Said, Head of Political Affairs at the Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi Isabelle Martin, Policy Adviser for the Strategic Policy and Planning at the Canadian Privy Council Office Dr. Peter Jones, former Moroccan member of parliament and representative from the Centre Tariq ibn Zyad in Rabat Hassan Benaddi, Head of the Department for the Middle East in the Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rasmus Grue Christensen and Director-General of the Institute diplomatique et des Relations Internationales in Algiers M. Smail Benamara were engaged in discussions with GRC to form a Consortium of research institutes. The objective is to jointly conduct three major conferences in 2005 to consider the creation of a Framework for Regional Co-operation and Security in the Middle East and North Africa. The project is supported by the Canadian and Danish governments.

Emirates Bank Chairman Ahmed Humaid Al-Tayer expressed interest in establishing cooperation with GRC activities, especially the proposed project on Gulf Business Council, which aims to bring international corporates and their partners in the GCC countries under one umbrella.

Director-General of New Delhi-based The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri) and Chairman of the Geneva-based Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change Dr. RK Pachauri, Teri Executive Director Dr. Leena Srivastava and Indian Counsul-General Yash Sinha were part of the preliminary discussions with GRC about a collaborative effort in the environment sector. The thrust of the talks was on preparing a "Green Gulf" document that would focus on the natural resources of the region and the state of the environment, both critical to the future of the region, and with the objective of creating a database and channeling it to create awareness among the public and the media.

Member of Dutch Parliament Farah Karimi, Senior Adviser at the Netherlands Helsinki Committee Jan ter Laak and Executive Director at the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights visited the center and held a follow-up meeting following GRC's participation in the Netherlands Helsinki Committee workshop in The Hague. The November 2004 session reviewed the current status of regional cooperation and ways to stimulate discussion among political actors and NGOs in Europe and the Gulf region along the lines of the European experience and Helsinki process.

Francoise Sellier - Charge de mission of the Secretariat general de la defense nationale, Office of the Prime Minister, France, responsible for the Gulf region - discussed GRC's activities, as well as regional developments such as the US policy, US-Iran relations and the Bahrain-US Free Trade Agreement.

James P. Ketterer, Director, Center for International Development, The State University of New York, held discussions about possible cooperation on a Legislative Resource Program.

Austrian Ambassador to the UAE Dr. Gerald Kriechbaum explored the scope for a joint GRC-Austrian embassy plan to promote Austria's presidency of the European Union and the UAE's presidency of the Gulf Cooperation Council in 2006.

Ambassador of Italy to the UAE Domenico Pedata discussed the possibility of conducting regular GRC roundtable meetings for resident European Union ambassadors in the UAE and the region.

Prince Faisal bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, chairman of the board of directors of the Saudi Research and Marketing Company, visited the center. GRC Chairman Abdulaziz Sager briefed the prince and the accompanying group of editors-in-chief and senior mangers from the Saudi company about the research programs pursued by the center.

Prince Salman expressed his admiration for the progress achieved by the center on the political, economic, defense, security and social issues in the Gulf region, and for the publications released by GRC.

In his exchange with GRC researchers, Prince Salman highlighted the importance of research centers and the role they play in disseminating knowledge and enhancing the awareness of the Arab citizen.

Dec. 13, 2004

Saudi Ambassador to the United Kingdom Prince Turki Al-Faisal Al-Saud

Dec. 5, 2004

Alex Younger - First Secretary (Political), British Embassy, Dubai - was briefed about the center's activities. Areas of possible cooperation between GRC and the embassy were also discussed.

30 November, 2004

South African Ambassador to the UAE Dikgang Moopeloa held talks on improving coordination between GRC and the South African embassy and government.

21 November, 2004

A Swedish delegation led by Peter Tejler - Deputy Director-General, Middle East and North Africa Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Eva Tarselius Hallgren - Senior Advisor, Middle East and North Africa Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Lars-Erik Grundell - Swedish Ambassador to the UAE, discussed regional developments, especially the Iranian nuclear issue, political reform in the Gulf, and the European Union's role in promoting reform and security.

13 October, 2004

Spanish Ambassador to the UAE Fernando de Galainena discussed international developments, the shift of the Spanish government's position on Iraq following the Madrid bombings and elections, and the future of European politics in the region. The GRC team gave the ambassador an introduction to GRC activities and the GCC-EU portal. Mr De Galainena agreed to help establish close cooperation between GRC and relevant Spanish institutions as well as individuals working on Spain-Gulf issues.

12 October, 2004

Canandian Ambassador to the UAE W. David Hutton and Isabelle Martin, Head of Political Affairs Program at the embassy, discussed with the GRC issues relating to the promotion of a regional security charter, an idea originally supported by the Canadian and Danish governments; looking at ways to promote the Canadian role in the region by focusing more on humanitarian aspects, promoting institutional relations between GRC and Canada; and exchanging information for the GRC Web portal on GCC-Canada relations.

28 September, 2004

Nato Deputy Secretary-General Alessandro Minuto Rizzo and his delegation interacted with GRC researchers on what the security scenario and concerns were in the region, and how and what Nato's involvement will be.

20 September, 2004

Professor Takeji Ino, Dean of Faculty of Humanities, Wayo Women's University, Japan, consulted the center on water politics in the region for a project he is working on. Along with points of view that were exchanged in a comprehensive discussion, the academic expressed the willingness of his university to cooperate with the center on research and convening conferences.

20 September, 2004

Swedish Ambassador to the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar Lars-Erik Grundell discussed the ways of cooperation between the embassy, Swedish Business Council and GRC, including the possibility of joint events and presentations for the wider diplomatic and business communities in the UAE.

19 September, 2004

Dr. Jairam Reddy, Director (ad interim), International Leadership Institute, United Nations University (UNU-ILI), visited GRC. The discussions concentrated on establishing institutional relations with the UNU-ILI and the prospects of organizing joint leadership programs on global public policy issues.

13 September, 2004

Belgian Ambassador to the UAE Marc Van den Reeck visited GRC and held talks with senior researchers. The envoy offered the services of the embassy in strengthening the academic database of the research portal and discussed issues pertaining to the GCC-EU ties.

6th September 2004

Rui Jorge Carneiro Mangueira, Counsel General of Angola to the UAE. Discussions held on GRC activities and the economic growth that Dubai has experienced over the last 30 years. Ideas presented on potential joint ventures and cooperation between the GCC States and Angola. Willingness expressed to convene conferences and seminars to tap the potential benefit of cooperation between the two sides.

24th August 2004

Dr.Patrick Clawson, Deputy Director, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Washington D.C

22nd August 2004

Dr.Ahmed Al Yusuf, Editor-in-Chief, The Saudi Gazzette, Okaz Organization, Jeddah

18th August 2004

South African Ambassador Dikganag Moopeloa and Thabo Thage, Counsellor

7th July, 2004

Swedish delegate Ms Yvonne Ruwaida, MP, The Green Party, Swedish Parliament and Mr. Magnus Nordstrom, Second Secretary, Swedish Embassy

29 May, 2004

Australian Ambassador to the UAE Noel Campbell, CAAR member Dr Fiona Hill, Manager of the CAAR Secretariat Catharine O'Ryan, and Third Secretary in the Australian embassy Cynthia Dearin.

27 May, 2004

Dr Saeed Mohammed al-Malees, Director-General of the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States.

Dr Abdullah bin Saleh al-Otheimen, Director-General of King Faisal International Award.

Dr Mona bint Salem al-Jardani, Deputy of the Affairs of Education and Curricula at the Omani Ministry of Education.

Dr Nura Khalifa al-Subayei, Deputy of Academic Affairs at the University of Qatar.

Dr Saeed Abdullah Harib, Deputy Director of Social Services Affairs at the Al Ain Uinversity, UAE.

Dr Baqer Salman al-Najjar, Professor of Sociology at Bahrain University.

Dr Moudhial-Hamood, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Administrative Science, Kuwait University. the visitors above mentioned are the board of trustees of the GRC Award for creative youth in social sciences and humanities in the GCC countries.

26 May, 2004

Dr Saad bin Abdulrahman al-Ammar, Director-General, Institute of Diplomatic Studies, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Riyadh

26 May, 2004

Undersecretaries of the Ministries of Education in the Gulf States visit GRC
The visiting delegation was composed of ABEG Director-General Mohamed al-Malees, Undersecretary for Education and Curricula at the Omani Ministry of Education Dr. Muna bint Salim al-Jardani, Undersecretary at the Ministry Education in Saudi Arabia Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Awwad, Undersecretary at Al-Imam Mohamed bin Saud Islamic University and supervisor of the project for developing Arabic language curricula at the ABEG Dr. Mohamed bin AbdelRahman ar-Rabi', Deputy Minister of Education in Yemen Dr. Abdulaziz Saleh bin Habtour, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Education in Kuwait Dr. Hamoud al-Saadun, Director of the Center for Educational Research in Kuwait Dr. Marzuk al-Futaim, Undersecretary at the UAE Ministry of Education and Youth Dr. Jamal Mohamed Al Muheiri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education in Bahrain Mr. Hussein Badr as-Sada, and Undersecretary at the Ministry of Education in Qatar Rabi'a al-Ka'abi.
Among the other attendees were Information Adviser at the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia Saud ad-Dahyan, Assistant Director at the Computer Center in Qatar Ismael Hamad al-Mansuri, Chairperson of the Education Technology Center in Qatar Huria Ali al-Malki, Deputy Director at the General Directorate for Education in Oman Leila bint Ahmad bin Awad an-Najar, Supervisor of the project for comprehensive development of education Dr. Abdelillah al Fahej and ABEG staff Kamel Saleh al-Fahej, Hamad Suleiman al-Halwa, Rabi' Mohamed ad-Dleejan.

24 May, 2004

Dr Mohammed Assad Alem, Arab Adviser to the University President, Naif University for Security Studies, Riyadh.

1 May, 2004

South Korean delegation
A delegation of South Korean diplomats, lead by South Korea's Ambassador to the UAE Sun-Yong Kang visited GRC.The delegation included First Secretary of the South Korean embassy in the UAE Kyungkun Lee and four senior members of the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security Dr. Sung-Han Kim, Mr. Sung Chul Shin, Dr. Seongji Woo and Ms. Hyean-Ok Choi. The Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security is part of the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Seoul.

4 April, 2004

Dr Anwar Alam, assistant professor, Center for West Asian and African Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

3 April, 2004

German journalist-author Prof. Dr. Peter Scholl-Latour.

3 April, 2004

South Korean Ambassador Sun-Yong Kang and First Secretary Jongho Choi
The ambassador explained to Mr Abdulaziz Sager about the importance of the GCC States for South Korea as it imports almost all its energy requirements from the region and two thirds of gas from Qatar. Trade balance favors the GCC countries, he said, adding that Korea is increasingly concerned about Islam and Arab culture. He commended the establishment of GRC as an independent research center, which "constitutes a window to the region for outsiders". It was agreed that a group of Korean academics will visit GRC and hold discussions in May on ways to establish a joint venture.

4 March, 2004

Delegation from Al-Anjal schools, Saudi Arabia, visited GRC to know more about research, its prospects and the link between curricula and the labor market.

1 March, 2004

Professor Werner Weidenfeld, Mr Josef Janning and Christian Hanelt Bertelsmann of the Bertelsmann Foundation, Germany. The Bertelsmann Foundation, a German-based think-tank and internationally operating, non-grant-giving foundation, is exploring means of co-operation with GRC by building a joint international relations program on European affairs.

22 February, 2004

Elan Fabbri, program officer of Middle East and North Africa at the International Republican Institute, Washington - Ms Fabbri expressed her willingness to initiate joint initiatives between GRC and the International Republican Institute.

14 February, 2004

Air Marshal (Rtd.) Syed Quaiser Hussain, ambassador, Pakistan embassy, UAE; Mr. Amanullah Larik, Consul-General; and Mr. Fayyaz Hussain Chaudhry, counselor.

11February, 2004

Professor Olivier de la Grandville, Department of Economics, University of Geneva, Prof. Grandville pointed out that in the 21st century the Gulf region is moving ahead faster than Europe. Given the infrastructure available at GRC, the Geneva-based academic expresses interest in exploring the possibilities of cooperation between the University of Geneva and GRC. He also encouraged the idea of having more students from the region study in Switzerland.

10 February, 2004

Delegation from the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, led by Mr Matthew L. Diver, Master of Public Policy Candidate , 2004 The meeting with GRC Chairman Sheikh Abdulaziz Sager touched on issues pertaining to Dubai macro and micro economics, the advantages Dubai has for promoting and attracting investments, such as connectivity, availability of data, infrastructure, competitiveness, cultural tolerance and automated systems. The need to develop those factors, the challenges facing Dubai, comparison of Dubai with other regional economies and the role of research centers in promoting welfarism were the other topics discussed.

4 February, 2004

Dr. Victor Mashtabei, deputy head, Ukraine embassy.

27 January, 2004

Mr. Vicken Koundakjian, policy adviser, Canadian president's office.

21 January, 2004

Mr. Tito Gronou, second secretary, Finland embassy.

Prof. Weidenfeld, director, Centre for Applied Policy Research, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, said: It is a very ambitious joint initiative of GRC and the Centre for Applied Policy Research. The GRC is a highly dynamic research centre and we at the Centre for Applied Policy Research are quite experienced in this program.Joining Prof. Weidenfeld were two other distinguished German personalities Josef Janning, member of the Management Committee at Bertelsmann Foundation and director of the Bertelsmann Group for Policy Research, Center for Applied Policy Research, and Christian Peter Hanelt, director of the Europe and the Middle East project, which is part of the Bertelsmann Foundation's International Relations Program.

Dr. Naser Tibi, Executive Director, Center for Externally Funded Research Activities, UAE University.

Dr. Frauke Heard-Bey, Center for Documentation and Research, Presidential Court, UAE.

Dr Guido Steinberg, international terrorism expert, Berlin.

23 October, 2003

Prof. Nobert Walter, chief economist, Deutsche Bank, visited the center and delivered a lecture on "Middle East-EU Cooperation".

21 October, 2003

Prof. Fred Halliday, London School of Economics visited the center and delivered a lecture at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce on "The Arabian Gulf and international relations: Past, present and future".