
76th Annual Gala & Awards Ceremony
MEI's 2022 Annual Gala will be held on Thursday, March 16, 2023 at the Ritz Carlton in Washington, D.C. Stay tuned for more details!

View Last Year's Virtual Gala
MEI's 75th Anniversary Celebration and Awards Ceremony was broadcast online on December 16, 2021. The ceremony featured addresses from Acting Assistant Secretary of State Yael Lempert and H.E. Dr. Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Advisor to the President of the UAE. MEI also honored Afghan women's rights advocate Fawzia Koofi and Lebanese philanthropic organization, LIFE.

About the Awards
The Issam M. Fares Award for Excellence, endowed by the former deputy prime minister of Lebanon, was created to honor inspirational, innovative Middle Eastern individuals who are making a difference in their communities and internationally. The Middle East Institute Visionary Award recognizes an individual or organization for outstanding work in the region.
Past Award Recipients
2022
Issam M. Fares Award for Excellence
General (ret.) John P. Abizaid
Former U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
2021
Distinguished Global Leadership Award
H.E. Yasir Othman Al-Rumayyan
Governor, Public Investment Fund