About Ali Al-Ahmed:
Ali Abbas al-Ahmed is a Saudi analyst focusing on the politics of the gulf region: including terrorism, Islamic movements, Wahhabi Islam, Saudi political history, Saudi-American relations, and the history of the al-Saud family. He is the founder and director of the Institute for Gulf Affairs (formerly the Saudi Institute), an independent think tank in Washington, D.C. focused on providing analyses and disseminating information on political issues in the Gulf region and particularly Saudi Arabia, and U.S.-Gulf relations. IGA also convenes conferences, conducts independent research[citation needed] and investigations, and works with the media and policymakers to fosters a deeper understanding of the Gulf countries by providing them with up-to-date and exclusive information and connecting them with reliable analysts.