Obaid, Nawaf E. 1974-

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Obaid, Nawaf E. 1974-

PERSONAL:

Born 1974. Education: Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, B.S.; Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, M.A.; completed doctoral courses at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Security Studies Program.

ADDRESSES:

Office—Center for Strategic & International Studies, 1800 K St. N.W., Washington, DC 20006.

CAREER:

Security consultant and writer. Saudi National Security Assessment Project, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, managing director; Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, DC, adjunct fellow, Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy. Previously served as Washington Institute for Near East Policy fellow and special project director at Office of the U.S. Secretary of Defense.

WRITINGS:

The Oil Kingdom at 100: Petroleum Policymaking in Saudi Arabia, Washington Institute for Near-East Policy (Washington, DC), 2000.

(With Anthony H. Cordesman) National Security in Saudi Arabia: Threats, Responses, and Challenges, Praeger Security International (Westport, CT), 2000.

Contributor to periodicals, including the Washington Post, New York Times, Financial Times, and the International Herald Tribune.

SIDELIGHTS:

Nawaf E. Obaid is a consultant on national security in Saudi Arabia and the author of The Oil Kingdom at 100: Petroleum Policymaking in Saudi Arabia. In his book, the author analyzes how petroleum policy has been made in the oil-rich country and has noted that he wrote the book so the U.S. government and public can better understand the process. He addresses western stereotypes such as the assumption of a corrupt government and writes about the major "players" in the Saudi policymaking process. Other issues addressed are the Saudi response to weakening oil prices from the end of the 1980s to the end of the 1990s; the relationship among the Saudis, oil exporters, and consumers; and the current status of the "oil kingdom." In a review in Middle East Policy, Brooks Wrampelmeier wrote: "One need not accept Obaid's policy recommendations to appreciate the overall value of his analysis of the issues confronting Saudi oil-policy makers. Complex issues are discussed lucidly and concisely."

Obaid also collaborated with Anthony H. Cordesman to write National Security in Saudi Arabia: Threats, Responses, and Challenges. The book focuses on what the authors consider to be Saudi Arabi's biggest threat, namely internal Islamic terrorism. The authors provide an account of past measures to confront the problem and offer their advice for future efforts.