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Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba
President Emeritus and Distinguished Fellow
Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba is president emeritus and distinguished fellow of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. She served as the founding president of AGSIW from December 10, 2014 until May 24, 2019. Prior to her appointment as president, Wahba led DerMar International, LLC, a consulting firm focused on assisting American businesses seeking to establish or expand their presence in the Middle East. Consulting assignments included PineBridge Investments, Booz Allen Hamilton, the Department of Defense, and Northrop Grumman.
Wahba retired from the U.S. Department of State in May 2008, class of Minister Counselor, after a 22-year career spent mostly in the Middle East. Wahba was confirmed as ambassador to the United Arab Emirates in October 2001. She received the White House Presidential Meritorious Service Award for her service in the UAE and was decorated with the UAE’s Order of Independence. Her Washington assignments included serving at the Pentagon as the foreign affairs advisor to the chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force and as the deputy at the National War College of the National Defense University at Fort McNair.
Wahba graduated from Western College for Women in Oxford, Ohio, with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a minor in international relations. She received a Diploma in National Security from the National War College, National Defense University, Washington, DC in June 2006.
Wahba is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, serves on the board of CIEE, and is on the board of advisors to the Bilateral US-Arab Chamber of Commerce.
Speeches
Keynote Address of Women in Energy Conference hosted by ADIPEC in Abu Dhabi, UAE, November 16, 2017
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Social and Economic Transformation in the Gulf Has Already Begun, but It Remains in Its Early Stages
It is increasingly clear that energy resources and revenues alone cannot sustain Gulf Arab economies and societies for the long term.
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Can the US Engage Effectively in Today's Middle East?
The Middle East is undergoing a period of profound transition.
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The Role of the Gulf Arab States in a Transforming Middle East
The Middle East finds itself at a moment of profound change.
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Gulf Rift Threatens Region’s Stability
The dispute between Qatar and its Arab neighbors has now entered its fourth week, causing an uptick in tension throughout the Middle East.
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GCC: A Force for Regional Stability
The Cipher Brief sat down with Marcelle Wahba, President of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, to discuss internal dynamics within the Gulf Cooperation Council.
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Cybersecurity is the Gulf's Next Big Challenge
As with much of the rest of the world, the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, including the UAE, view cybersecurity as a crucial priority.