The cast is complete for our 2026 Conference! Today’s Middle East—Power, Politics & Players—February 20-22, 2026.

An exciting roster of expert speakers, a vitally important topic, and a highly talented moderator are in place for the February Camden Conference, Today’s Middle East: Power, Politics & Players. This strategically and geopolitically unique region is being transformed by ever-shifting alliances, emerging powers, and ongoing conflicts—and we’ve assembled an exceptional group of speakers to help us understand the changing politics, the key players and the complex politics.

We are very pleased to announce that Meghna Chakrabarti, host of NPR’s On Point, will moderate the three-day conference, guiding conversations with some of the nation’s leading Middle East experts. The conference opens on Friday, February 20 with a keynote address from Vali Nasr, Professor of International Affairs and Middle East Studies at Johns Hopkins SAIS and former Senior Advisor to Ambassador Richard Holbrooke. Professor Nasr’s deep expertise on the region’s political, economic, and security dynamics will set the stage for the weekend’s exploration.

On Saturday and Sunday our distinguished speakers will examine the multi-layered forces at play in this complex region. Joshua Landis, Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, brings an essential historical perspective. Princeton’s Bernard Haykel, one of the foremost scholars on Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Peninsula, joins journalist and author Suzy Hansen, who has lived in Turkey and written extensively about the country’s evolving role in the region.

Suzanne Maloney, Vice President and Director of Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution, offers her unparalleled expertise on Iran, while Barak Ravid, political reporter for Axios and CNN analyst, provides on-the-ground insights into Israel’s complex regional position. Stephanie Williams, former UN Special Adviser on Libya and current Brookings fellow, addresses the struggles of stateless peoples caught in the region’s conflicts. Jeffrey Feltman, former UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs and current Brookings fellow, brings decades of diplomatic experience to analyzing U.S. foreign policy in the region.

The renowned journalist Robin Wright, joint fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace and Wilson Center and contributing writer for The New Yorker, examines the currents of change sweeping across the Middle East—from economic transformation to demographic pressures—providing a synthesizing perspective on the forces reshaping the region.

The conference will take place live at the Camden Opera House and will livestream to the Strand Theatre in Rockland, Lunt Auditorium in Falmouth, and virtually to homes and classrooms worldwide.

Mark your calendars: Member registration opens November 1, with general public registration beginning December 1.

We look forward to seeing you in February for what promises to be a timely and illuminating exploration of one of the world’s most consequential regions.