Search Trips
1-800-395-3288
Request More Information
Sign Up To Receive Email Updates
Middle East – Bahrain, KUWAIT, Oman, Saudi Arabia and UAE
The Middle East in the 21st Century: A World Leaders Symposium
Aboard the All-Suite Silver Wind
Overview
Dates Mar 19 — Apr 03, 2009
Activity Level Moderately Active
High Country Passage is pleased to announce plans for its fourth World Leaders Symposium: a journey to the Middle East in March 2009. This exclusive program will feature a series of lectures and discussions on the complexities of the region with some of the world's leading Middle East experts and scholars. Confirmed speakers include:
- James A. Baker III, Co-chair of the Iraq Study Group; former U.S. Secretary of State
- Larry Diamond, Professor of Sociology and Political Science, Stanford University
- Bernard Haykel, Professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University
- William Perry, former U.S. Secretary of Defense
- Dennis B. Ross, Ziegler Distinguished Fellow, Washington Institute for Near East Policy
- Baroness Elizabeth Symons, former U.K. Minister of State for the Middle East
- John Mroz, President and founder of the EastWest Institute
Cruising aboard the all-suite Silver Wind, visit historically significant sites in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman. Each of these fascinating locations offers an ideal backdrop for a series of formal and informal discussions with our panel of Middle East experts on the politics of oil, natural resources and the environment, economics and development, the Iraq war and regional conflicts, and the complex role and influence of Western powers in the region. Special features include behind-the-scenes access, exclusive performances, and meetings with local dignitaries.
*Please note that the itinerary and speaker schedule are subject to change. For further information about this World Leaders Symposium, and to have your name added to a waiting list, please call 1-800-395-3288.
About the World Leaders Symposium Series
Since 1978, High Country Passage (HCP) has been a leader in developing innovative, expert-led, educational travel opportunities to destinations around the globe. Its signature World Leaders Symposium travel program features uparalleled experts, access, and insight. In 2006, HCP traveled to Russia and the Baltics with former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. In 2007, HCP set sail for the Dalmatian Coast with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and other leading figures for a symposium on the Balkans. And in 2008, China and East Asia were the backdrop as former President George H.W. Bush and leading international scholars explored the East's rising global powers.
Map
Itinerary
- Days 1 and 2 — U.S. / Dubai, UAE
- Days 3, 4 and 5 — Dubai
- Day 6 — Dubai / Day Trip to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Day 7 — Dubai / Embark Silver Wind
- Day 8 — Dammam, Saudi Arabia
- Day 9 — Bahrain
- Day 10 — At Sea
- Day 11 — Kuwait
- Day 12 — At Sea
- Day 13 — Qatar
- Day 14 — Dubai / Disembark / Oman
- Days 15 and 16 — Muscat, Oman
- Day 17 — Depart for U.S.
*Please note that the itinerary is subject to change.
Highlights
- Engage in off-the-record dialogues and participate in a series of in-depth lectures with some of the world's leading experts on Middle Eastern culture, history, economics, and politics.
- Get behind-the-scenes access at fascinating and historically significant sites rarely seen by Western visitors.
- Cruise in luxury aboard the all-suite Silver Wind, one of the highest rated cruise ships afloat.
- Meet with international and local dignitaries for unique perspectives on current events and issues in this dynamic region.
- Choose from an extensive menu of excursion options at each port of call, such as visits to souks, archaeological sites, university campuses and media outlets.
- See cities and historic sites few Americans have experienced, and gain understanding of this vital region.
Pre-Tour Extension
Iran
March 13-19, 2009
Experience modern-day Iranian life amid the bazaars, palaces, and museums of Tehran, and meet with scholars and dignitaries to discuss Iran's historic and current international role. Excursions will include Shiraz, a center for arts and learning that was Persia's most important city of the medieval Islamic world, and Perspolis, the most impressive archaeological site in Iran.
Post-Tour Extension
Israel
April 3-7, 2009
Journey to Jerusalem to explore some of Israel's most important sites, and to participate in discussions with prominent government officials and civic leaders. Optional excursions will include the historically rich Old City, the Temple Mount (Noble Sancturary), the venerated Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Shrine of the Book (home to the Dead Sea Scrolls).
Program Leaders
James A. Baker III
James A. Baker III has served in a number of top U.S. government positions, including White House Chief of Staff and Secretary of the Treasury under Ronald Reagan and Secretary of State under George H.W. Bush. A longtime White House advisor on Middle East policy, he recently served as co-chair of the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan congressional panel convened to assess the situation in Iraq and provide recommendations for U.S. policy in the region. Baker was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1991. He is the founding chair of the James A. Baker III Institute of Public Policy at Rice University, and author of The Politics of Diplomacy: Revolution, War and Peace, 1989–1992.
William J. Perry
William J. Perry served as the U.S. Secretary of Defense from 1994 to 1997. In this role, he focused on the complex issues of a post-Gulf War Middle East—a region whose security he considered vital to U.S. interests. Perry’s efforts included mobilizing U.S. forces to contain Iraq when it threatened Kuwait; securing important oil-shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz; cultivating regional allies through the Gulf Cooperation Council; and developing a strong U.S. defense presence in the Gulf. After leaving the Pentagon, Perry became a professor at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and co-director of the Preventive Defense Project at the Stanford University Center for International Security and Arms Control. In 2006, he joined James A. Baker III on the Iraq Study Group, a group formed to give advice on the U.S. government’s Iraq policy. Perry is currently the Michael and Barbara Berberian Professor at Stanford University, with a joint appointment in the School of Engineering and the Institute for International Studies.
Dennis B. Ross
Dennis B. Ross, former U.S. Ambassador to the Middle East, has played a leading role in shaping U.S. policy in the Middle East peace process for more than two decades. A scholar, diplomat, and author, Ross served under both the George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton administrations. His diplomatic efforts assisted Israelis and Palestinians to reach the 1995 Interim Agreement; he also brokered the 1997 Hebron Accord and 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty. The author of The Missing Piece: The Inside Story of the Fight for Middle East Peace and Statecraft, And How to Restore America’s Standing in the World, Ross is currently a counselor and a Ziegler Distinguished Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
John Mroz
John Edwin Mroz is president and founder of the EastWest Institute, an independent international think and do tank. Mroz built EWI into one of the world’s preeminent non-governmental change agent institutions. He has served as an advisor to more than twenty governments and received numerous international awards for his work. The author of a landmark book on the Arab-Israeli conflict, “Beyond Security: Private Perceptions Among Arabs and Israelis,” Mroz currently serves on the Council on Foreign Relations.
Dennis Ross
Larry Diamond is a professor, lecturer, advisor, and author on foreign policy, economic aid, and democracy. In early 2004, he was a senior advisor on governance to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq. Since then he has written and lectured on U.S. policy in Iraq and the challenges of postconflict resolution. Diamond presently serves as a professor of sociology and political science at Stanford University and as a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, where he coordinates the Iran Democracy Project with Abbas Milani and Michael McFaul. He is co-editor of the Journal of Democracy and author of The Spirit of Democracy: The Struggle to Build Free Societies throughout the World.
Sponsors
American Museum of Natural History
Commonwealth Club
Harvard Alumni Association
Princeton Journeys
Rice Alumni Travel / Study
Smith Travel
Stanford Alumni Travel / Study
World Affairs Council
Accommodations
Cruise Ship
The Silver Wind
The luxurious Silver Wind, one of the highest rated ships afloat, features an unparalleled crew-to-guest ratio, an all-inclusive policy that spares no cost, as well as impeccable service and amenities. The all-suite accommodations include ocean views and a wide range of features, from walk-in closets to 24-hour steward service. All bathrooms have marble tiles, shower/bathtub combinations, hair dryers, and terry-cloth robes. Of the ship’s 147 suites, 111 feature private verandahs. There are six suite categories, ranging in size from the 240 square-foot Vista Suites to the 1,315 square-foot Grand Suites. Pictured: The Silver Wind exterior
The Silver Wind
Pictured: the Silver Wind pool
The Silver Wind
Pictured: the Silver Wind Grand Suite
Program Rates
Airfare
U.S. domestic and international airfare is not included in the program rates. A special group airfare rate will be offered soon. We are happy to assist you in making individual travel arrangements.
Program Rates
From $20,990 per person, double occupancy. Please contact High Country Passage at (800) 395-3288 to be added to a waiting list.