The Mideast Dialogue

International scholars and senior policy decision makers have set up a think tank, called The Dialogue, which will operate from offices in Sharjah and Dubai.

The think tank?s website (www.thedialogueintl.com) was inaugurated at a function on Wednesday night.

It brings together on a single platform people as diverse as Ambassador Robin Raphel, co-ordinator for Iraq Reconstruction, to Amr Hamzawy, senior associate of the Carnegie Endowment.

Dialogue and debate

Dr Shahed Masoud, chairman of the Middle East chapter, said the think tank will create dialogue and debate on various issues between policy makers, thinkers and writers, and hopes to bring about constructive results.

"It is the policy research centre of the region," he said.

The Sharjah office is located in the Airport Free Zone and the Dubai office is slated to open next week.

"Think tanks everywhere tend not to interact with each other," said Dr Masoud, hoping to involve everyone in issues ranging from Iraq exit policy to Kashmir.

Interactive forum

He said its website will be an interactive one where people can write their opinions and make it a "discussion on the global level".

"Our mission is to explore and advance public policy alternatives," said the chairman.

The co-founders of the Dialogue include Dr Masoud, a former surgeon and head of ARY One World channel, and Adnan Tabani, a businessman and founder member of the Centre for Policy Studies.

The think tank will later expand to Cairo and Qatar. Its headquarters will be in Washington DC and the European branch in Brussels.

Shortly after opening office in the US, The Dialogue will hold a conference on oil and conflicts.