PMBF Names New Fellow

Respected Saudi analyst Khaled Al Maeena has joined the Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd for Strategic Research and Studies as a senior non-resident fellow. Al Maeena, the former editor-in-chief of both the Saudi Gazette and Arab News, brings to the program a wealth of knowledge about Saudi Arabian politics, history, economic development, and culture. A frequent guest on BBC, CNN, NPR, and other international new networks, he is also an expert on South Asia, Arab politics, and U.S. regional relations.

“We are deeply honored to have Khaled Al Maeena as a member of our PMBF team. There are few individuals who can match his experience. His insight on Saudi Arabia’s relationship with the world is second to none, and his ongoing work to promote understanding between cultures through dialog and education will be a real asset to our program and UCF,” stated PMBF Director David Dumke.

Prominent Saudi journalists Khaled Al Maeena (left) and Samar Fatany (center) with PMBF Director David Dumke (right).

Al Maeena is a veteran Saudi journalist, commentator, and businessman. He currently serves as the editor-at-large of the Saudi Gazette, and in a co-founder and board member of NAAM Association, which promotes cultural dialog and supports civil society organizations. He has held a broad range of positions in Saudi media for over thirty years, including CEO of a PR firm, Saudi Television news anchor, talk show host, radio announcer, and lecturer. As a journalist, Al Maeena has represented Saudi media at Arab summits in Baghdad, Morocco and elsewhere.

In 1990, he was one of four journalists to cover the historic resumption of diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Russia. He also traveled to China on multiple occasions, most recently in 2016, as part of Saudi diplomatic missions. An expert on South Asia, Al Maeena was groundbreaking in establishing South Asian pages in Saudi newspapers. His political and social columns appear regularly in Al Arabiya, Gulf News, Asharq al-Aswat, al-Eqtisadiah, Arab News, Times of Oman, Asian Age and The China Post.

Based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Al Maeena will play an advisory role for the PMBF Program, and will visit UCF periodically over the next year – including in early November. While on campus, he will participate in a forum on Saudi Arabia’s ambitious 2030 national development plan, as well as meet with various student groups and faculty members. Al Maeena last visited UCF in 2013, during which he gave a series of lectures on Saudi Arabia, Arab-Indian relations, and US-Arab relations.

The Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Program for Strategic Research and Studies, which is supported by the Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University Annual Fund, was established in 2012. The program is administered by the Department of Political Science in the College of Sciences at the University of Central Florida (UCF). The program sponsors or co-sponsors public presentations by distinguished scholars and practitioners, an annual forum, student fellowships and research activities.