The King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies participated in The 2017 MENA Think Tank Summit in Jordan, which is jointly organized by the Center for Strategic Studies in Jordan, and the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program, University of Pennsylvania and promoted in partnership with Rome MED 2017. It took place in Jordan on September 19 through September 21, 2017. More than 40 think tanks have participated in the summit.

This year's summit focused on the Middle East and North Africa and the opportunities that can arise from ongoing conflicts and challenges. The theme of the Conference highlighted the role of think tanks in a better understanding of the dynamics of the region and shaping its future. As well as dialogue on important issues such as extremism, security, refugee issues, cooperation and economic development, and post-conflict state-building.

The Summit's goal is to continue the dialogue to create and support a strong network of research centers in the Middle East and North Africa and to continue to discuss the differentiation between influence and independence in ongoing efforts to achieve the greatest policy impact,, establish a healthy policy dialogue, and to find the best practices and innovative strategies to address the challenges facing the research community in the MENA region, the promotion of cross-national cooperation, the strengthening of security, communication and the self-efficacy of enterprises.

The Center was represented at this summit by Turki Al-Shuaieer, Assistant Secretary General for Development and Quality, Fahd Al-Ghaleb Al-Sharif, the main researcher in the field of political economy, and Mohammed Al-Dajin, a researcher in the field of media, where the delegation participated in various meetings held during the summit. They met with James McGinn, director of the Think Tanks and Civil Society Programs Program at the University of Pennsylvania and supervisor of the Annual Report of Research and Thought Centers around the world.