Ambassador Jon Wilks is a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council and leads the Rafik Hariri Center’s Transatlantic Program, strengthening US and European dialogue and collaboration on Middle East issues. Ambassador Wilks is an associate fellow of the Chatham House Middle East Program and a senior associate member of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies. Ambassador Wilks is also a senior advisor to the Iraq Britain Business Council. 

Ambassador Wilks served for thirty-four years in the British Diplomatic Service, from 1989 to 2023. He was UK ambassador to Qatar, Iraq, Oman, and Yemen, as well as special envoy to Syria. He is an expert on the Middle East, post-conflict stabilization, Gulf security, Arab media, and UK, US, and EU foreign policy. In 2012, he was awarded the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George for services to British foreign policy. 

He has an MPhil in international relations from St Antony’s College, Oxford University, and an MA in Middle East politics from Durham University. He is an honorary professor at Exeter University. He was the UK government’s Arabic spokesman and speaks Arabic fluently.