US Special Envoy to OIC explores US-Arab world relationship at Dubai School of Government

Ambassador Cumber's comments came today at an event hosted by Dubai School of Government, as part of its lecture series inviting leading thought leaders to Dubai to share their rich understanding of global economies and cultures.

Sharing his experiences as US Special Envoy, Ambassador Cumber said his tenure with the OIC afforded him a unique perspective on the relationship between the Islamic world and the West, a relationship that has driven and will continue to drive much of geopolitics in the years to come.

Identifying promising areas of dialogue between the US and the OIC, he focused on issues such as national security, religious defamation and interfaith/intrafaith dialogue.

Cumber also explored the complex and sometimes contradictory relationships between Islamic countries. He shed light on the current global recession and the lessons traditional Islamic financial and investment structures could offer in repairing sickly financial institutions.

Cumber also drew on his experience and knowledge to turn the clock forward, taking his audience on a tour of the world and Islam as they may exist 60 years from now.

Established in 2005 in cooperation with the Harvard Kennedy School, the Dubai School of Government is committed to the creation of knowledge, dissemination of global best practices and the training of policy makers in the Arab world. The school is focused on capacity building and conducts various programs that seek to promote good governance through enhancing the region's capacity for effective public policy.