Third Annual Erbil Forum

The Future of the Middle East Amid Mounting Uncertainty

About Forum

About Forum

The Erbil Forum is an annual event organized by Rudaw Research Center in the capital of the Kurdistan Region, in collaboration with numerous prominent research centers, think tanks and institutions in the Middle East and around the world.


Location

Rotana Hotel, Gulan Street, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq


Time

8:00 - 19:00


Forum Program

Filter by program and day

Registration & Badge Collection

Opening & Welcoming Address

Ziryan Rojhelati

Ziryan Rojhelati

Director of Rudaw Research Center

Speech/ Dr. Abdul Latif Rashid, President of Iraq

H.E, Dr. Abdul Latif Rashid

H.E, Dr. Abdul Latif Rashid

President of the Republic of Iraq

Speech / Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani, Prime Minister of Iraq

H.E, Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani

H.E, Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani

Prime Minister of Iraq

Interview 01: The future of Iraq in light of the 2025 elections and regional tensions

 H.E, Dr. Mahmoud Mashhadani

H.E, Dr. Mahmoud Mashhadani

President of the Iraqi Parliament

Dr. Mohammed Ihsan

Dr. Mohammed Ihsan

Senior Researcher, King's College London; Former Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government

Interview 02: Kurdistan Region's Vision for the Era of Uncertainty – the Impact of Regional Compromises and Divisions on Kurdistan

H.E, Nechirvan Barzani

H.E, Nechirvan Barzani

President of the Kurdistan Region

Moderator:  Ziryan Rojhelati

Moderator: Ziryan Rojhelati

Director of Rudaw Research Center

Rest & Lunch

Panel 01: Syria’s Future Post-Assad: Reshaping the Region’s Security and Political Landscape.

Saeed Khatibzadeh

Saeed Khatibzadeh

Deputy and president of the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) at the Foreign Ministry

Dr. Jauad Anani

Dr. Jauad Anani

Former Deputy Prime Minister of Jordan

Basim Al-Awadi

Basim Al-Awadi

Spokesperson for the Government of Iraq

 Cengiz Çandar

Cengiz Çandar

Member of the Turkish Parliament, DEM Party

Dr. Gangzheng She

Dr. Gangzheng She

Director of the Center for Foreign Security Studies at Tsinghua University, Beijing

Moderator: Hussien Omar

Moderator: Hussien Omar

Rudaw Media Network

Panel 02: Post-Assad regime: What can Western governments do to protect Syrian minorities' rights ?

Christiane Hohmann

Christiane Hohmann

Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Iraq

Siamend Hajo

Siamend Hajo

Head of the Office for External Relations of Syrian Kurdistan Front

Moderator: Dilbixwin Dara

Moderator: Dilbixwin Dara

Rudaw Media Network

Panel 03: The Political Future, Military and Security Balances in the Middle East: Persistent Conflict and Tensions or Sustainable Stability?

Pascal Ausseur

Pascal Ausseur

Retired Admiral of the French Navy and Director General of the Mediterranean Center for Strategic Studies

Muzaffer Akyildirim

Muzaffer Akyildirim

Retourner. Diplomat & Military Officer GFI & BDU Rep

Dr. Ibrahim Mottaghi

Dr. Ibrahim Mottaghi

Professor of Political Science, University of Tehran; Expert on Regional Security

Moderator:  Maad Fayad

Moderator: Maad Fayad

Rudaw Media Network

Panel 04: Post-Assad Syria: Challenges to State Integration, Power Consolidation, and Political Transition

Dr. Patrick Haenni

Dr. Patrick Haenni

Humanitarian Dialogue Organization

Ahmad Al-Jarba

Ahmad Al-Jarba

President of the Syria's Tomorrow Movement and Former President of the Syrian Opposition Coalition

Ahmad Mhidi

Ahmad Mhidi

Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, Syria Advisor

Moderator: Dr. Azad Ali

Moderator: Dr. Azad Ali

Author and former director of the Rudaw Research Center

Panel 05: Visions of a Transitional Period in the Middle East – States' Perspectives on Political, Economic, and Social Turning Points

 Dr. Nuri al-Dulaimi

Dr. Nuri al-Dulaimi

Iraq's Former Minister of Planning

Mariam Sadiq al Mahdi

Mariam Sadiq al Mahdi

Former Foreign Minister of Sudan

Dr. Khalil Shirgholami

Dr. Khalil Shirgholami

Deputy Director General of the Institute for Political and International Studies at the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Dr. Adel Bakawan

Dr. Adel Bakawan

European Institute for Research on the Middle East and North Africa

Moderator: Abbas Al-Anbouri

Moderator: Abbas Al-Anbouri

Advisor to the International Relations Committee in the Iraqi Parliament--President and Founder of Rewaq Center

Interview 03: Islamism, Nationalism and the Kurdish Question in Türkiye

Zekeriya Yapıcıoğlu

Zekeriya Yapıcıoğlu

President of HÜDA PAR

Moderator: Ruşen Çakır

Moderator: Ruşen Çakır

Journalist

Panel 07: Climate Change and its Impact on Human Rights Violations in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region

Dr Torhan Al Mufti

Dr Torhan Al Mufti

Advisor to the Prime Minister of Iraq on water

 Jasim Al Asadi

Jasim Al Asadi

Head and Co-Founder of the Iraqi Nature Organization

Sherri Kraham Talabany

Sherri Kraham Talabany

President and Co-Founder of SEED Foundation

Dr. Zaki S. Shubber

Dr. Zaki S. Shubber

Lawyer and International Expert in Freshwater Law and Conflict Resolution

Moderator:  Sarah Sanbar

Moderator: Sarah Sanbar

Human Rights Watch

Panel 08: Climate Change and Geopolitical Challenges in the Middle East

Gawdat Bahgat

Gawdat Bahgat

Professor of National Security Affairs at the National Defense University’s Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Study.

Dr. Jawad Al-Kharraz

Dr. Jawad Al-Kharraz

Senior Director, Expert and Consultant in Sustainable Development, Energy Transition and Water Policies, New Technology

Hassan Partow

Hassan Partow

Program Manager at the Post-Conflict and Disaster Management Branch of UN Environment (Environment Department/PCDMB)

Abdul Aziz Al-Ghashian

Abdul Aziz Al-Ghashian

Senior Researcher and Research Director at the ORF (Observer Research Foundation) for the Middle East

Moderator: Paul Dziatkowiec

Moderator: Paul Dziatkowiec

Director of Mediation and Peace Support at the Geneva Center for Security Policy

Interview 04: US Foreign Policy and its Regional Engagement in the Middle East under Trump

David Schenker

David Schenker

Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs

Moderator: RoJ Zalla

Moderator: RoJ Zalla

Rudaw Media Network

Panel 09: Misinformation and Disinformation in Times of Conflict – October 7 until the fall of Bashar al-Assad

Dina Sadek

Dina Sadek

a Resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab)

Dr. Mohammed Abu Rumman

Dr. Mohammed Abu Rumman

Founder of the Politics and Society Institute and former Minister of Culture and Youth in Omar Razzaz's government in Jordan

Bayan Tal

Bayan Tal

A media literacy and communication consultant

Moderator:  Yusuf Can

Moderator: Yusuf Can

Wilson Center /Program Coordinator

Panel 10: Prospects for the 2025 Iraqi Parliamentary Elections – A New Stage of Tension or a Direction for Peaceful Power Rivalry

Raed Fahmi

Raed Fahmi

Secretary General of the Communist Party in Iraq

 Dr. Mustafa Ayash AlKubaisi

Dr. Mustafa Ayash AlKubaisi

Secretary General of the National Monument Party

Rafe Abdul-Jabbar Al-Azzawi

Rafe Abdul-Jabbar Al-Azzawi

Former member of the Iraqi Parliament (Sadrist Movement)

Aso Faraidoon

Aso Faraidoon

Member of Iraqi Parliament /PUK

Moderator:  Mustafa al-Saray

Moderator: Mustafa al-Saray

Director of Political Studies at Al-Bayan Center for Planning and studies

Interview 06: The Kurdistan Patriotic Union's Perspective on the Uncertainties of Iraq and Kurdistan Region's Future

 Qubad Talabani

Qubad Talabani

Deputy Prime Minister of Kurdistan region

Moderator: Shaho Amin

Moderator: Shaho Amin

Rudaw Media Network

Rest & Lunch

Roundtable Discussion (By Invitation)

Panel 11: Regulation of Oil and Gas Demand and the Future of Energy Transmission in Iraq

Dr. Luay al-Khateeb

Dr. Luay al-Khateeb

Former Electricity Minister and member of the Federal Energy Council in the Government of Adil Abdul-Mahdi

Dr. Izzat Sabir

Dr. Izzat Sabir

Iraq's Deputy Oil Minister For Gas Affairs

Matthew Zais

Matthew Zais

HKN Energy's Vice President for Government Affairs, and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Energy

Moderator: Robin Mills

Moderator: Robin Mills

CEO of Qamar Energy

Panel 12: Competitiveness of Road Projects and the Future of Development Road Projects in Iraq

Dr. Ahmed Yousef Al-Jumaili

Dr. Ahmed Yousef Al-Jumaili

Prime Minister's Political Team

Dr. Yerevan Saeed

Dr. Yerevan Saeed

Director of the Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace, American University, Washington

Dr. Ardeshir Pashang

Dr. Ardeshir Pashang

Researcher and Expert in International Relations

Moderator: Maryam Salman

Moderator: Maryam Salman

Senior Consultant - Energy Strategy & Transformation, Qamar Energy

Dr. Ahmad Naqibzadeh

Dr. Ahmad Naqibzadeh

Professor at the University of Tehran

Interview 07: Türkiye 's Domestic Policy and Regional Strategy Transformation; Bülent Arınç's Perspective, Former Speaker of Parliament

H.E, Bülent Arınç

H.E, Bülent Arınç

Former Deputy Prime Minister and Former Speaker of the Türkiye Parliament

Moderator: Mohammed Saleh

Moderator: Mohammed Saleh

Rudaw Media Network

Presentation 01: Kurdish Barometer Results: Findings from Turkey

 Roj Girasun

Roj Girasun

Director of RawestResearch

Reha Ruhavioğlu

Reha Ruhavioğlu

Director of Kurdish Studies

Rest & Lunch

Panel 13: Russia and the Middle East amid Global Transformations

Dr. Nikolay Surkov

Dr. Nikolay Surkov

Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of World Economy and International Affairs of the Russian

Ambassador Aleksander Aksenenok

Ambassador Aleksander Aksenenok

Vice-President of the Russian International Affairs Council

Dr. Jahangir Karami

Dr. Jahangir Karami

International Relations Associate Professor, Department of International Relations of the University of Tehran, expert in Russia studies

Moderator: Dr. Dalsoz Jalal Hawrami

Moderator: Dr. Dalsoz Jalal Hawrami

University of Soran

Panel 14: Peace Talks in Türkiye and the Future of the PKK Armed Conflict after Four Decades

Mr. Oğuz Kaan salıcı

Mr. Oğuz Kaan salıcı

Former deputy chairman of the Republican People’s Party (CHP)

Mehmet Emin Ekmen

Mehmet Emin Ekmen

Deputy President of the DEVA party and Member of the Turkish Parliament

Abdurrahman Kurt

Abdurrahman Kurt

Former Member of Parliament, Justice and Development Party (AKP)

Cengiz Çandar

Cengiz Çandar

Member of the Turkish Parliament, DEM Party

Moderator:  Dr. Arzu Yilmaz

Moderator: Dr. Arzu Yilmaz

An Associate Professor , Department of Politics and International Relations, Kurdistan University – Erbil

Interview 08: Faith and Strategy; Kurdistan Islamic Union's Perspective on the Geopolitical Shifts in the Middle East

Salahuddin Mohammed Bahauddin

Salahuddin Mohammed Bahauddin

Secretary General of the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU)

Bestoon Osman

Bestoon Osman

Rudaw Media Network

Closing Address

Forum Speakers

Part of Forum Speakers

Dr. Abdul Latif Rashid

Dr. Abdul Latif Rashid

President of the Republic of Iraq

Nechirvan Barzani

Nechirvan Barzani

President of the Kurdistan Region

 Dr. Mahmoud Mashhadani

Dr. Mahmoud Mashhadani

President of the Iraqi Parliament

Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani

Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani

Prime Minister of Iraq

 Bülent Arınç

Bülent Arınç

Former Deputy Prime Minister and Former Speaker of the Türkiye Parliament

Salahuddin Mohammed Bahauddin

Salahuddin Mohammed Bahauddin

Secretary General of the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU)

Dr. Jauad Anani

Dr. Jauad Anani

Former Deputy Prime Minister of Jordan

Qubad Talabani

Qubad Talabani

Deputy Prime Minister of Kurdistan region

 Zekeriya Yapıcıoğlu

Zekeriya Yapıcıoğlu

President of HÜDA PAR

David Schenker

David Schenker

Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs

 Saeed Khatibzadeh

Saeed Khatibzadeh

Deputy Foreign Ministry and president of the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS)

Cengiz Çandar

Cengiz Çandar

Member of the Turkish Parliament, DEM Party

Dr. Gangzheng She

Dr. Gangzheng She

Director of the Center for Foreign Security Studies at Tsinghua University, Beijing

Ambassador Aleksander Aksenenok

Ambassador Aleksander Aksenenok

Vice-President of the Russian International Affairs Council

Christiane Hohmann

Christiane Hohmann

Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Iraq

Pascal Ausseur

Pascal Ausseur

Retired Admiral of the French Navy and Director General of the Mediterranean Center for Strategic Studies

Muzaffer Akyildirim

Muzaffer Akyildirim

Retourner. Diplomat & Military Officer GFI & BDU Rep

 Dr. Nuri al-Dulaimi

Dr. Nuri al-Dulaimi

Iraq's Former Minister of Planning

Mariam Sadiq al Mahdi

Mariam Sadiq al Mahdi

Former Foreign Minister of Sudan

Raed Fahmi

Raed Fahmi

Secretary General of the Communist Party in Iraq

Dr. Luay al-Khateeb

Dr. Luay al-Khateeb

Former Electricity Minister and member of the Federal Energy Council in the Government of Adil Abdul-Mahdi

Matthew Zais

Matthew Zais

HKN Energy's Vice President for Government Affairs, and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Energy

Mr. Oğuz Kaan salıcı

Mr. Oğuz Kaan salıcı

Former deputy chairman of the Republican People’s Party (CHP)

Mehmet Emin Ekmen

Mehmet Emin Ekmen

Deputy President of the DEVA party and Member of the Turkish Parliament

 Dr. Gangzheng She

Dr. Gangzheng She

Director of the Center for Foreign Security Studies at Tsinghua University, Beijing

Siamend Hajo

Siamend Hajo

Head of the Office for External Relations of Syrian Kurdistan Front

Patrick Haenni

Patrick Haenni

Humanitarian Dialogue Organization

Dr. Ibrahim Mottaghi

Dr. Ibrahim Mottaghi

Professor of Political Science, University of Tehran; Expert on Regional Security

Dr. Khalil Shirgholami

Dr. Khalil Shirgholami

Deputy Director General of the Institute for Political and International Studies at the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Dr. Adel Bakawan

Dr. Adel Bakawan

European Institute for Research on the Middle East and North Africa

Dr. Ahmad Naqibzadeh

Dr. Ahmad Naqibzadeh

, University of Tehran

Ahmad Jarba

Ahmad Jarba

former president of the Syrian Opposition Coalition

Dr Torhan Al Mufti

Dr Torhan Al Mufti

Advisor to the Prime Minister of Iraq on water

Jasim Al Asadi

Jasim Al Asadi

Head and Co-Founder of the Iraqi Nature Organization

Sherri Kraham Talabany

Sherri Kraham Talabany

President and Co-Founder of SEED Foundation

Dr. Zaki S. Shubber

Dr. Zaki S. Shubber

lawyer and CEDR-certified mediator, Specializes in national and international water law, and conflict resolution

Gawdat Bahgat

Gawdat Bahgat

Professor of National Security Affairs at the National Defense University’s Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Study.

Hassan Partow

Hassan Partow

Program Manager at the Post-Conflict and Disaster Management Branch of UN Environment (Environment Department/PCDMB)

Abdul Aziz Al-Ghashian

Abdul Aziz Al-Ghashian

Senior Researcher and Research Director at the ORF (Observer Research Foundation) for the Middle East

Dina Sadek

Dina Sadek

a Resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab)

Dr. Mohammed Abu Rumman

Dr. Mohammed Abu Rumman

Founder of the Politics and Society Institute and former Minister of Culture and Youth in Omar Razzaz's government in Jordan

Bayan Tal

Bayan Tal

Member of the Board of Trustees, The Crown Prince Foundation

 Dr. Mustafa Ayash AlKubaisi

Dr. Mustafa Ayash AlKubaisi

Secretary General of Al Sarh Party

Aso Feridun

Aso Feridun

Member of Iraqi Parliament /PUK

Rafe Abdul-Jabbar Al-Azzawi

Rafe Abdul-Jabbar Al-Azzawi

Former member of the Iraqi Parliament

Dr. Izzat Sabir

Dr. Izzat Sabir

Iraq's Deputy Oil Minister For Gas Affairs

Dr. Yerevan Saeed

Dr. Yerevan Saeed

Director of the Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace, American University, Washington

Dr. Ardeshir Pashang

Dr. Ardeshir Pashang

Researcher and Expert in International Relations

Reha Ruhavioğlu

Reha Ruhavioğlu

Director of Kurdish Studies

 Roj Girasun

Roj Girasun

Director of Rawest Research

Dr. Nikolay Surkov

Dr. Nikolay Surkov

Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of World Economy and International Affairs of the Russian Academy of Science

Dr. Jahangir Karami

Dr. Jahangir Karami

International Relations Associate Professor, Department of International Relations of the University of Tehran, expert in Russia studies

Dr. Ahmed Yousef Al-Jumaili

Dr. Ahmed Yousef Al-Jumaili

Turkish Affairs Advisor / Prime Minister's Office of Iraq

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