On October 30, 2025, the N7 Foundation, in partnership with the Polaris National Security, hosted the Washington Prosperity Summit – the first major conference on the Middle East in Washington, D.C. following the ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza. The conference drew over one hundred participants, including diplomats from across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Central Asia, senior U.S. government officials, and leaders from the private sector representing technology, security, development, and global investment.
With over nine off-the-record sessions, the Washington Prosperity Summit facilitated a substantive exchange on the Middle East’s rapidly evolving strategic environment. Discussions spanned regional stabilization and reconstruction, emerging integration frameworks, energy and trade connectivity, legislative priorities on Capitol Hill, and the fast-growing importance of artificial intelligence and advanced technologies. Speakers included Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter, Bahraini Ambassador to the United States Shaikh Abdulla Rashed Al Khalifa, Senator Joni Ernst, Ambassador Nathan Sales, and David Schenker.
Across conversations, panelists noted that the region stands at a moment of both heightened urgency and extraordinary opportunity. While security challenges remain, diplomatic openings, economic diversification, and ambitious connectivity initiatives are creating new pathways for regional cooperation and integration. Discussions emphasized the need for integrated defense, sustained international investment, and long-term planning to translate these opportunities into durable progress.
A clear message emerged throughout the conference: U.S. engagement in the region remains indispensable. Bipartisan voices stressed that American leadership is central to countering destabilizing actors, shaping regional architectures, and advancing a future of the Middle East defined by stability, innovation, and shared prosperity.
