In May 2002, the Saban Center for Middle East Policy was launched with a special address by His Majesty King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to a select audience of policymakers in Washington, D.C. With the addition of the Saban Center, the Brookings Institution has rapidly become one of the most dynamic centers for research and analysis of U.S. policy in the Middle East. It was founded with the help of prominent Los Angeles businessman Haim Saban, who made a generous initial grant and pledged additional funds to endow the Center.
"As someone who has an abiding interest in promoting Arab-Israeli peace and preserving American interests in the Middle East, I am delighted to have an opportunity to help expand the work of the Brookings Institution in these areas. The Brookings Institution's credibility and reputation for rigorous, policy-relevant scholarship makes it the ideal institution to house this vital work."
Under the leadership of Director Martin S. Indyk and Director of Research Kenneth M. Pollack, the Saban Center fosters research and discussion on some of the most crucial problems facing the United States today. The Saban Center draws on a diverse staff with expertise in such issues as regime change and nation building in Iraq, Palestinian-Israeli peace, and improving relations with the Muslim world. As an integral part of the Foreign Policy Studies program, directed by Carlos Pascual, the Center provides a forum for all Brookings scholars engaged in Middle East-related research.
For more on the Saban Center, please visit our webpage at: http://www.brookings.edu/saban.aspx.