Ambassador Ford M. Fraker Named President of the
Middle East Policy Council
Brings over 35 years of experience in Middle East policy and finance
WASHINGTON, December 16, 2013 — The Board of the Middle East Policy Council (MEPC) today announced that Ambassador Ford M. Fraker, who served as United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from April 2007 to April 2009, has been named the new president of the organization.
Ambassador Ford M. Fraker has over 35 years of Middle East experience at the intersection of finance and international diplomacy. Most recently, he served as U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from April 2007 to April 2009, spanning both the George W. Bush and Barack H. Obama administrations. From 2009 to 2013, he was a Senior Advisor to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co (KKR), Chairman KKR Middle East and North Africa, and CEO KKR Saudi Ltd.
“We believe that the Ambassador’s unique appreciation for U.S. national interests in the Middle East — as a banker, Ambassador and through continued engagement with the current U.S. administration – will advance the MEPC mission as the organization enters its fourth decade,” said Dr. Omar Kader, Chairman of the Middle East Policy Council’s Board of Directors.
“It is an honor to join such a distinguished group of Middle East policy experts and I look forward to collaborating with the board, Council staff and its partners to develop their core programs while securing further financial resources to sustain them well into the future,” said Ambassador Fraker.
In addition to his new role at the MEPC, Ambassador Fraker is Senior Advisor to Trinity Group Limited and a member of the Middle East Advisory Board of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the International College in Beirut and the International Advisory Board of the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts. Ambassador Fraker graduated cum laude with a BA from Harvard College.
The Middle East Policy Council was founded in 1981 to contribute to the understanding of the political, economic and cultural issues that affect U.S. interests in the Middle East. This is accomplished through three interrelated programs: the quarterly journal Middle East Policy, the most influential policy publication on the region; the Capitol Hill Conference Series for policymakers, offering multiple points of view on complex Middle East issues; and the Council’s outreach to U.S. educators.
CONTACT: Rebecca Anderson, randerson@mepc.org 202-296-6767