Raghida Dergham, gracefully poised before an audience of political leaders, prominent intellectuals, and esteemed CEOs, exudes confidence and wisdom. Speaking from her home in Beirut, Ms. Dergham has redoubled her efforts to ensure that progress on the Middle East’s most pressing issues continued to be made, despite the restrictions imposed by Covid-19. Currently on the 12th edition, she has been delivering weekly e-Policy Circles, to virtually discuss ongoing developments. Bringing together diverse panels of diplomats, CEOs of major corporations and leading researchers, including Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Nadine Labaki, Egyptian Minister, Rania Al-Mashat; Chinese Ambassador Yue Xiao and Gulf Research Center chairman and founder Dr. Abdulaziz Sager, among other leaders from the region, to discuss pressure points such as fluxing international relations and economic developments following the pandemic.
Ms. Dergham served for 28 years as Columnist, Senior Diplomatic Correspondent, and NY Bureau Chief for the London-based Al-Hayat, and contributed to multiple global news outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post and Arab News. A political analyst for global broadcasters such as NBC and BBC Ms. Dergham was named Arab Woman of the Year for 2017 by the by the London Arabia Organisation.
Ms. Dergham notably founded and acts as executive chairman of the Beirut Institute, a non-partisan, solution-driven think tank, providing a dynamic platform for leading policy makers and global intellectuals where strategic policies are conceived, relationships with East and West are transformed, and quantifiable progress is made for the Middle East. Over the course of a decade, Beirut Institute has grown to become a highly trusted destination for those looking to lead the conversation on policy and development in the Arab region.
To date, Beirut Institute has delivered three Summits, convening international leaders, policymakers, and intellectuals, to strategize and propel the Arab region into an increasingly prosperous, interconnected, and modern future. A pioneering thought leader and award-winning journalist, Ms. Dergham is leading the discussion discussion on forward-looking, innovative policy change for the Middle East.
