WASHINGTON, DC – September 17, 2025 – The Atlantic Council announced today the launch of the MENA Futures Lab, a flagship initiative of the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East advancing innovation, entrepreneurship, and human capital to build a more prosperous future for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The Council has appointed Khalid Azim, a seasoned financier, academic, and public servant, as the Lab’s inaugural director. 

The MENA Futures Lab will serve as a collaborative hub and intellectual engine, bridging traditional wisdom and future possibilities across one of the world’s most dynamic regions. Through world-class research, thought leadership, convenings, and an AI-powered innovation platform, the Lab will connect minds, markets, and opportunities to help shape MENA’s trajectory at a critical moment of transformation. 

 “The Middle East and North Africa are undergoing dynamic economic, financial, cultural, and social change, unlocking innovation, entrepreneurship, and human imagination,” said Khalid Azim, director of the MENA Futures Lab.  “The Lab is an invitation to imagine and build that future together, connecting people, ideas, and capital in actionable ways. With its rich institutional history, the Atlantic Council is the ideal organization to lead this vision.”

Azim brings to the role a distinguished career spanning finance, academia, public service, and nonprofit leadership. He has led nonprofit efforts advancing financial and professional engagement across the MENA region, worked as a global capital markets banker at Morgan Stanley in New York and Hong Kong, and began his career as a US Navy officer during the 1991 Gulf War, serving on a fast-attack, nuclear-powered submarine. A former White House fellow and life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Azim is also an adjunct professor at Columbia University, where he teaches courses on leadership, ethics, and communications. 

“The Atlantic Council has always stood at the intersection of policy, innovation, and global partnership,” said William F. Wechsler, senior director of the Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs. “With the MENA Futures Lab, we are doubling down on our commitment to a region undergoing profound transformation, and we are delighted that Khalid Azim will lead this effort with vision and purpose.” 

The Lab will launch with a portfolio of initiatives including advanced training programs, innovation incubation platforms, leadership development tracks, and cross-regional investment networks. It will also create content designed to build connection, authenticity, and purpose. In addition, the Lab will establish a best-in-class advisory council, host high-profile convenings in Washington and New York, and develop local chapters across MENA to expand reach and impact. 

For more information and details on how to engage with MENA Futures Lab, please contact szaaimi@atlanticcouncil.org.