Colby Connelly

Colby Connelly is a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute (MEI), where he focuses on oil and gas markets, liquified natural gas (LNG), aboveground risk, corporate strategy, and the impact of the energy transition on oil- and gas-producing states. He is also a senior analyst at Energy Intelligence, where he works with the firm’s research and advisory practices.

Before joining MEI, Mr. Connelly was a research associate at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, where he specialized in the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, with a particular focus on national oil companies and domestic energy markets. He also spent several years as a contractor in Saudi Arabia, supporting workforce nationalization initiatives and designing and managing training programs for employees in Saudi energy and critical infrastructure sectors. Additionally, he served as a contributor to IHS Markit’s Middle East and North Africa country risk service for nearly eight years.

He holds an MA from Johns Hopkins University and a BA from James Madison University.

He is fluent in Arabic.