Raymond E. Karam

Raymond Karam is the chief program and development officer at the Arab Gulf States Institute, where he leads the institute’s program strategy, outreach, media relations, and resource development initiatives. In this role, he oversees the design and execution of high-impact programs and partnerships that advance AGSI’s mission to deepen understanding of the Gulf Arab states and their global relations.

Before joining AGSI, Karam served as the EastWest Institute’s Washington representative, directing engagement with Congress, U.S. federal agencies, foreign embassies, and international organizations. A seasoned dialogue practitioner, he also led the institute’s Middle East Track II initiatives, fostering U.S.-Middle East policy dialogues and multilateral discussions on regional security, nonproliferation, economic development, and environmental cooperation. His work created rare channels for sustained face-to-face communication between U.S. and Iranian experts and policymakers.

Earlier in his career, Karam worked with the Synergos Institute’s Arab World Social Innovators Program, supporting social entrepreneurs addressing poverty and inequality in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, and Palestine.

Karam holds a Bachelor of Science in political science and international affairs from Hofstra University, a Master of Science in international relations and transnational security from New York University, and a certificate in international law and European studies from the University of Amsterdam.

He was named one of the Middle East Policy Council’s “40 Under 40” awardees in 2023. He is a former member of the Carnegie Council’s New Leaders program and a recipient of the U.S.-Germany Young Researcher Fellowship, awarded by the German Federal Foreign Office.