Qutaiba Idlbi is the Director of American Affairs at the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, where he oversees Syria’s engagement with the United States, Canada, and Latin America. In this role, he shapes diplomatic strategy, builds dialogue with international partners, and advances Syria’s post-conflict reintegration and recovery agenda. 

Prior to assuming his current position, Idlbi was a senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Middle East programs, leading the Council’s work on Syria. He authored widely cited analyses on the country’s transition, U.S. sanctions policy, and pathways for reintegration into the international community. His research and policy work have informed both governments and multilateral organizations on strategies to support stability and inclusive governance in Syria. 

Idlbi’s professional background spans research, advocacy, and program management. He served as the Syria expert at the International Center for Transitional Justice, analyzing the framework of political imprisonment, and as a nonresident scholar at the Middle East Institute, where he studied sanctions and forced displacement. He also contributed to field research on refugee entrepreneurship in Turkey and Jordan with Building Markets, assessed security dynamics with the Global Policy Institute, and developed governance and security assessments for U.S. government agencies through Caerus Associates. 

Beyond research, Idlbi co-founded and served as vice president of People Demand Change, implementing civil society and peacebuilding programs across Syria, Yemen, and Lebanon. He is a 2013 Leaders for Democracy fellow with the U.S. Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative and a 2016 Peace Exchange fellow.