Founder and chairman of the Gulf Research Center

He has a master and doctorate in international relations from the Universities of Kent and Lancaster in the United Kingdom. He is a visiting professor at Ca' Foscari University of Venice in Italy and Osaka University in Japan. He is a member of a number of Saudi, Arab, and international institutions and bodies, including the board of trustees of the King Abdul Aziz Center for National Dialogue and the advisory body to the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces.