Washington, DC—January 31, 2020—The Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs today announced the addition of Marc J. Sievers as a nonresident senior fellow. Sievers recently retired as a career member of the senior foreign service with the rank of minister-counselor, after having most recently served as US ambassador to Oman. Sievers brings to the program deep expertise in foreign and domestic policy in the Gulf and the wider Middle East. He recently published an article with the Atlantic Council following the death of Sultan Qaboos of Oman, in which he reflects on the Sultan’s life and legacy.
“The US-Omani relationship is a unique and especially important one in the region,”said Director of Middle East Programs William F. Wechsler. “At this critical point of generational change in Muscat, there is nobody better placed to help us understand the opportunities ahead than Marc Sievers. I am very happy to welcome him to the Atlantic Council team.”
Sievers served as US ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman from January 2016 to November 2019. He was a foreign service officer since 1981 and received numerous awards over his career, including three State Department Superior Honor Awards and four Meritorious Honor Awards. He served as political counselor in Riyadh, deputy political counselor in Ankara, and political officer in Rabat and Cairo. He was also the first appointed diplomatic fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy from September 2014 to July 2015.
Sievers received an MA in international affairs from Columbia University and a BA in history from the University of Utah. He speaks Hebrew and Arabic. His achievements in the study of the Arabic language and culture earned him the American Foreign Service Association’s Sinclaire Language Award.
For any questions or to request an interview with Marc J. Sievers, please contact press@AtlanticCouncil.org.