Firas Maksad is the managing director for the Middle East and North Africa practice at Eurasia Group. He oversees the team covering the region's geopolitics and macroeconomics and US foreign policy toward that part of the world. Firas is a recognized expert on the politics of Lebanon and Syria, the geopolitics of the Arab Gulf states, and the broader dynamics of the Middle East.
 
Prior to joining Eurasia Group, Firas was a senior director and senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, a leading Washington-based think tank. He also managed his own boutique political consulting firm and has been an adjunct professor at George Washington University's Elliott School for International Affairs. Earlier in his career, Firas worked for Eurasia Group as an analyst in the Middle East and North Africa practice.
 
Firas's writings have appeared in leading publications such as the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, and the Los Angeles Times. He frequently offers expert commentary on US politics and the Middle East for global news networks, including CNN, the BBC, CNBC, Bloomberg, and others.
 
Firas holds a master of science in foreign service degree and an honors certificate in international business from Georgetown University. He completed his undergraduate degree in political studies at the American University of Beirut.