The Middle East Institute and Foreign Policy Magazine are proud to announce that a forum on “Saudi Arabia’s Elections: Reform to Survive” will be held on Thursday September 16, 2004 from 12:00-1:30 PM at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW).

As Saudi Arabia prepares for its first elections in four decades, the Kingdom is at a crossroads. Facing Islamic militants at home and increasing international pressure to reform, Saudi Arabia seems to be embracing reform as a means of self-preservation. Reform is essential, but it could undermine support from the religious establishment that has always been a cornerstone of Saudi rule. Saudi Arabia may need reform—but can it survive it?

In his essay, “How to Save Saudi Arabia,” which is currently featured in the September/October issue of Foreign Policy, F. Gregory Gause, Associate Professor at the University of Vermont and author of Oil Monarchies: Domestic and Security Challenges in the Gulf States, outlines a strategy for how the Saudi monarchy can initiate reform, satisfy its foreign critics, beat back the militants and preserve its reign. During the forum, Dr. Gause will draw upon these arguments to examine the impending elections and necessary steps to ensure lasting reform. Joining him in this discussion will be James Placke, former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs and currently a Senior Associate at Cambridge Energy Research Associates, and Thomas W. Lippman, MEI Adjunct Scholar, former Middle East Correspondent for The Washington Post, and author of Beyond the Mirage: The American Experience in Saudi Arabia. David Chambers, MEI Director of Programs, will moderate the forum.

Following the event, panel members will be available for interviews.