On October 20, 2025 the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad and Jordan’s Arab Thought Forum formalised a new institutional collaboration by signing a Memorandum of Understanding in an online ceremony.
Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, Director General of ISSI, and Dr. Al-Sadig M. Al-Faqih, Secretary General of the Arab Thought Forum, signed the MoU while senior representatives including Ms. Amina Khan, Director of the Centre for Afghanistan Middle East and Africa (CAMEA) at ISSI, and Dr. Shakaib Rafiq, Pakistan’s Deputy Head of Mission in Amman, attended the event.
Ambassador Sohail Mahmood praised the visionary work of His Royal Highness Prince al-Hassan bin Talal, founder of the Arab Thought Forum, and thanked the Pakistan Embassy in Amman for facilitating the partnership. He highlighted the depth of historical and cultural links between Pakistan and the Arab world, especially Jordan, and said those ties create fertile ground for enhanced research collaboration and people to people engagement under the ISSI ATF partnership.
Dr. Al-Faqih emphasised Pakistan’s special standing across the Arab and Muslim world and explained that the ATF’s interest in engaging Pakistan stems from longstanding fraternal bonds. He underlined the need for practical cooperation and deeper engagement across scholarly and policy-focused projects.
Ms. Amina Khan described the arrangement as an important step for institutional cooperation on bilateral and regional topics while Dr. Shakaib Rafiq pointed to areas of potential collaboration beyond traditional research, reaffirming the Embassy’s support for stronger ties between the two think tanks.
The agreement centres on exchange of officials and experts for research and field studies, professional training, sharing of experience, joint scientific research, collaborative events, and exchange of publications. These measures under the ISSI ATF partnership are aimed at fostering sustained academic exchanges and reinforcing people to people links between Pakistan and the Arab world.
By enabling expert exchanges and joint projects, the MoU seeks to strengthen ties between research communities in Pakistan and Jordan, enhance mutual understanding, and promote shared objectives in areas of strategic concern across the region.
