Zeina Al-Shaib is Senior Director of Communications and Events at the Middle East Institute (MEI), where she leads the organization’s strategic communications and public programming. With over a decade of experience at the intersection of media and policy, Zeina works with her team to grow the Institute’s media impact and promote its work on Middle Eastern policy, art, and culture. She leads the development of a dynamic and evolving digital communications strategy and manages MEI’s social media platforms. She organizes media outreach for the Institute’s scholars as well as moderates web-based media briefings to connect journalists with MEI experts. Zeina leads a team of professionals who work on the production of high-level convenings of thought-leaders and policymakers to amplify MEI’s message of promoting dialogue and building bridges. Zeina works closely with MEI’s senior leadership to ensure MEI’s research and initiatives resonate with a broad US audience.
Zeina is a journalist-turned-communications professional. Prior to joining MEI, she worked for years in both broadcast and digital journalism, where she covered international news with a focus on the Middle East, the US, and Europe. She holds a B.A. in International Business and Marketing from Temple University and a M.A. in International Relations from the University of Miami.