Maha Yahya

Maha Yahya is director of the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center.

Prior to joining Carnegie, Yahya spearheaded strategic and inter-sectoral initiatives in the Office of the Executive Secretary at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, leading work on social justice and participatory development. She has consulted with international organisations including UN bodies and the World Bank, as well the private sector, on a broad range of issues in countries including Lebanon, Pakistan, Oman, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. She serves on several advisory boards, including the UNESCO commission Futures of Education. She was also the founder and editor of the MIT Electronic Journal of Middle East Studies. Yahya holds PhDs in the social sciences and humanities from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Architectural Association School of Architecture. She is the author of numerous publications.