What we’re about
This group is for Washington area professionals who work in the international arena (US govt, World Bank, IMF, NGO, foreign embassy) or just someone with a passion for international affairs who wants to learn more and interact with like-minded people.
We meet every six weeks or so at Zorba’s Cafe in Dupont. The books we read are proposed and voted on at the end of the previous meeting. Reading the selected book is absolutely not required to attend.
Upcoming events (1)
See all- MBS: The Rise to Power of Mohammed bin Salman, by Ben HubbardZorba's (Dupont Circle), Washington, DC
From the publisher's website:
MBS is the untold story of how a mysterious young prince emerged from Saudi Arabia’s sprawling royal family to overhaul the economy and society of the richest country in the Middle East—and gather as much power as possible into his own hands. Since his father, King Salman, ascended to the throne in 2015, Mohammed bin Salman has leveraged his influence to restructure the kingdom’s economy, loosen its strict Islamic social codes, and confront its enemies around the region, especially Iran. That vision won him fans at home and on Wall Street, in Silicon Valley, in Hollywood, and at the White House, where President Trump embraced the prince as a key player in his own vision for the Middle East. But over time, the sheen of the visionary young reformer has become tarnished, leaving many struggling to determine whether MBS is in fact a rising dictator whose inexperience and rash decisions are destabilizing the world’s most volatile region.Based on years of reporting and hundreds of interviews, MBS reveals the machinations behind the kingdom’s catastrophic military intervention in Yemen, the bizarre detention of princes and businessmen in the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton, and the shifting Saudi relationships with Israel and the United States. And finally, it sheds new light on the greatest scandal of the young autocrat’s rise: the brutal killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in Istanbul, a crime that shook Saudi Arabia’s relationship with Washington and left the world wondering whether MBS could get away with murder.
MBS is a riveting, eye-opening account of how the young prince has wielded vast powers to reshape his kingdom and the world around him.How to find us:
We meet in the upstairs seating area at Zorba's in Dupont Circle. Look for a sign on a table with a picture of the book's cover on it.Links:
- Bookshop: By purchasing your book through this link, you help support local bookstores and defray the cost of DCIA's Meetup subscription.
- Amazon
- Penguin Random House
- Ben Hubbard profile from the Wilson Center
