WASHINGTON, October 26, 2020 – The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington is pleased to announce that Christopher J. Davis, Lamya Al Haj, Ahmed Al Musalmi, and Ambassador C. David Welch have joined the institute’s board of directors.
From 2006-20, Christopher J. Davis was a Raytheon executive leading efforts to develop international markets and relationships. His most recent Raytheon assignments were president of Raytheon International Inc. from 2017-20 and the country leader/president of RII in the United Arab Emirates beginning in July 2014. As the president of Raytheon International Inc., Davis led an organization responsible for the growth of all Raytheon markets outside of the United States. He has a Bachelor of Science in industrial economics from Union College and a master’s degree in security studies from the Marine Corps University.
One of the leading women in the science, technology, engineering, and math ecosystem in the Gulf, Lamya Al Haj is a researcher in biodiesel alternatives to oil, a TEDx motivational speaker, and the founder of the speaker platform “Jalasat Mulhimoon” to showcase role models to inspire younger generations. She is an associate professor at Sultan Qaboos University and holds a PhD in structural and molecular biology from University College London with an MSc in environmental science and technology from the University of New South Wales.
Ahmed Al Musalmi has served as chief executive officer of Sohar International since May 2018. He has been a catalyst in the bank’s transformation and a proven leader who combines business vision and people skills with over two decades of experience. He was the CEO and led the transformation of the National Bank of Oman prior to his move to Sohar International. Al Musalmi is a graduate of Harvard Business School and holds an MBA with distinction from the University of Bedfordshire.
Ambassador C. David Welch brings to the board a broad range of knowledge and experience in government and business, internationally and in the United States. He recently retired after 10 years with Bechtel, a global engineering and construction firm. Welch previously served 32 years with the U.S. Foreign Service. In 2008, he attained the lifetime rank, confirmed by the Senate, of Career Ambassador. Welch is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
“I am absolutely delighted to welcome each of these distinguished individuals to the AGSIW board of directors,” said Ambassador Frank G. Wisner, chair of the board. “They hail in equal numbers from the United States and the Gulf region, but each brings an enviable track record in international affairs, commerce, and science, making them uniquely qualified to support the institute’s mission of ‘building bridges of understanding’ between the United States and the Gulf Arab states.”
###
The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington (AGSIW), launched in 2015, is an independent, nonprofit institution dedicated to providing expert research and analysis of the social, economic, and political dimensions of the Gulf Arab states and how they affect domestic and foreign policy. AGSIW focuses on issues ranging from politics and security to economics, trade, and business; from social dynamics to civil society and culture. Through programs, publications, and scholarly exchanges the institute seeks to encourage thoughtful debate and inform the U.S. foreign-policy and business communities regarding this critical geostrategic region.
