On October 12, 2026, the MERI Forum began in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region.

Rahman Ghareb is participating in the 11th annual MERI Forum, representing Metro Center.

The MERI Forum is the institute’s flagship annual event, bringing together domestic, national, and international policymakers, academics, opinion leaders, civil society activists, journalists, and diplomats. It provides a platform for debating the most pressing issues affecting the region and offering practical solutions for decision-makers.

The forum’s ultimate goal is to promote peace, stability, and prosperity in Iraq and the wider Middle East through constructive dialogue, inclusive participation, and joint investment in the future.

MERI Forum 2026 focuses on the immediate policy challenges facing Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, changes in the regional landscape, and emerging opportunities for international cooperation. A series of timely and strategic topics will be explored through policy debates and in-depth analysis. These include evolving global and regional power dynamics, U.S. policy in the Middle East, prospects for peace in the Levant, reform of key state institutions, institutionalizing center-periphery relations, promoting ethno-religious coexistence, and many other areas.