What’s Next in the Middle East?
Shifting alliances, regional conflict, and the future of U.S. engagement
Date: Monday, October 12, 2026
Time: 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.
Format: Zoom
This timely conversation with Ambassador David Hale explored the forces reshaping one of the world’s most strategically important and complex regions. Drawing on nearly four decades of diplomatic experience, including service as U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Ambassador to Pakistan, Lebanon, and Jordan, and Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, Hale examined shifting alliances, regional conflicts, emerging powers, U.S. foreign policy, energy markets, and the growing geopolitical risks facing the global economy.
Meet the speaker
David Hale
Former U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan, Lebanon, and Jordan, and Special Envoy for Middle East Peace
Ambassador David Hale served as U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (2018-2021), overseeing global diplomatic engagement and U.S. embassies worldwide. A lifetime rank of Career Ambassador and 38-year Foreign Service veteran, he served under Presidents Bush, Obama, and Trump, including as Ambassador to Pakistan, Lebanon, and Jordan; a Special Envoy for Middle East Peace; and more. Ambassador Hale graduated from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in 1983, is the author of American Diplomacy toward Lebanon: Lessons in Middle East Foreign Policy, has won an array of significant awards, and is a distinguished fellow at the Wilson Center and distinguished diplomatic fellow at the Middle East Institute.