Sanam Vakil

Dr Sanam Vakil is the director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House. Her expertise spans Iranian and Gulf politics, regional security dynamics, and US foreign policy, with a particular focus on the evolving strategic landscape of the Middle East and its global connectivity.

At Chatham House, Sanam directs a diverse portfolio of research and policy initiatives, addressing critical issues such as Gulf Arab security and economic transitions, Iran’s regional ambitions, governance and political reform, women’s empowerment, and the intersection of climate and socio-economic challenges.

She provides nuanced analysis of Western policy priorities – particularly those of the UK, US, and Europe – while also offering strategic insight into the growing influence of China and Russia across the region, and regularly engaging with government, corporate and research sectors.

In addition to her policy work, Sanam holds the James Anderson Professorial Lectureship in Middle East Studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS Europe) in Bologna, Italy, where she has taught Middle East politics since 2008.

She previously served on the faculty of SAIS Washington’s Middle East Studies Program. Sanam is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on other advisory boards and is regularly consulted by high ranking government officials in the US, Europe, UK, and Middle East.