Also available in العربية فارسی

Barbara A. Leaf
Ruth and Sid Lapidus Fellow
Director, Geduld Program on Arab Politics
Barbara A. Leaf, a distinguished foreign service officer and the U.S. ambassador to the United Arab Emirates from 2014-2018, is the Ruth and Sid Lapidus Fellow at The Washington Institute and director of the Geduld Program on Arab Politics.
Areas of Expertise
Iran, Iraq, Persian Gulf States , Arab and Islamic Politics, Gulf and Energy Policy, U.S. PolicyBiography
Barbara A. Leaf, the U.S. ambassador to the United Arab Emirates from 2014-2018, is the Ruth and Sid Lapidus Fellow at The Washington Institute and director of the Beth and David Geduld Program on Arab Politics. During her diplomatic career, Ambassador Leaf served in high-level positions at Foggy Bottom and abroad. Before arriving in Abu Dhabi in 2014, she served as deputy assistant secretary of state for the Arabian Peninsula in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and as deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq; directed the U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Team in Basrah, Iraq; and served as the department’s first director of the Office of Iranian Affairs. In addition, she had postings in Rome, Sarajevo, Paris, Cairo, Tunis, Jerusalem, and Port-au-Prince.
Ambassador Leaf departed government as a member of the Senior Foreign Service and has received numerous Superior Honor and Meritorious Honor Awards throughout her career. A graduate of the College of William and Mary, she holds a master's degree in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia. She speaks Arabic, French, Italian, and Serbo-Croatian.
Languages Spoken / Read
- Arabic
- French
Most Recent Analysis
September 24, 2019
Bringing Diplomacy Back to the Pressure Campaign Against Iran
September 23, 2019
The Ends of Iran: Next Steps for Tehran and Its Neighbors
May 30, 2019
A U.S.-Iraq Security Partnership: Avoiding the Pitfalls Just Ahead
March 13, 2019
Reports from Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Capitol Hill
Middle East Policy Forecast for 2019
February 4, 2019
It’s Time for a Serious Saudi-Houthi Back Channel
January 9, 2019
After Palermo: Achievements and Future Challenges for Libya
December 17, 2018
The UAE and Yemen’s Islah: A Coalition Coalesces
December 6, 2018
Containing Iranian Proxies in Iraq
September 26, 2018
One Down, Two to Go: Iraq’s New Government Shaping Up
September 21, 2018