The United States, Joe Biden, and the Changing Landscape of the Middle East

When President Biden took office, his foreign policy prioritized reestablishing America’s traditional alliances in Europe and Asia, dealing with the challenge of a rising China, and watching an unpredictable Russia. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine created global energy price spikes in food and energy, and strained U.S. relations with traditional partners in the Middle East. What did President Biden accomplish on his July trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia, and what more needs to be done?

Ambassador Douglas A. Silliman is currently President of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington (AGSIW). He previously served as United States Ambassador to Iraq from 2016 to 2019 and U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait from 2014 to 2016. From 2013 to 2014, Ambassador Silliman served as a Senior Advisor in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs in the U.S. Department of State, working on Iraq issues and the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. Ambassador Silliman was Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq from 2012 to 2013, Minister Counselor for Political Affairs in Baghdad from 2011 to 2012, and Deputy Chief of Mission in Ankara, Turkey from 2008 to 2011. He joined the Department of State in 1984 and was a career member of the Senior Foreign Service. He retired from the Foreign Service in April 2019 after 35 years.

Ambassador Silliman served as Director and Deputy Director of the Department of State’s Office of Southern European Affairs, as Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Jordan, and as the Regional Officer for the Middle East in the Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism. Additionally, he served in many State Department positions focused on the Middle East.

In 2018, Ambassador Silliman received the Presidential Distinguished Service Award from President Donald J. Trump. He has received numerous awards from the Department of State, including the Secretary’s Award for Public Outreach in 2007 and senior performance awards.
Ambassador Silliman received a Bachelor of Arts in political science, Summa Cum Laude, from Baylor University in Texas, where he was also a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He earned a Master of Arts in international relations from the George Washington University.

In addition to his position as president of AGSIW, Ambassador Silliman also serves on the board of advisors of the Bilateral US-Arab Chamber of Commerce, which helps American businesses expand their international business and trade ties, especially in the Middle East and Gulf region. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Academy of Diplomacy.