Ali al-Ahmed
Ali Abbas al-Ahmed (Arabic: علي عباس آل أحمد, Gulf pronunciation: [ˈʢɑli ʢɐbˈbɑːs ʔɑːl ˈʔɑʜmɐd̪]; born 1966, is a Saudi scholar focusing on the politics of the gulf region: including terrorism, Islamic movements, Wahhabi Islam, Saudi political history, Saudi-American relations, and the history of the al-Saud family. He is the founder and director of the Institute for Gulf Affairs (formerly the Saudi Institute), an independent think tank in Washington, D.C. focused on providing analyses and disseminating information on political issues in the Gulf region and particularly Saudi Arabia, and U.S.-Gulf relations. IGA also convenes conferences, conducts independent research and investigations, and works with the media and policymakers to fosters a deeper understanding of the Gulf countries by providing them with up-to-date and exclusive information and connecting them with reliable analysts.He has been invited to speak by Princeton University, Amnesty International, the Hudson Institute, American Enterprise Institute and Meridian International Center.As a journalist, al-Ahmed exposed major news stories such as The Pentagon's botched translation of the 9-11 Bin Laden tape in December 2001. He also discovered the video of Daniel Pearl's murder.He has testified before Congress on several occasions on the issue of civil rights and religious freedom in the Middle East.He has authored reports on Saudi Arabia regarding religious freedom, torture, press freedom, and religious curriculum.