Mark Allworthy

Mark Allworthy is a subject matter expert in strategic analysis, international relations, and defence policy and capabilities. As an Arabic speaker with deep experience in the Middle East, his global geopolitical expertise and insight has acquired a unique perspective which makes him a trusted advisor to regional governments and a valuable interface with their international partners. In recent years he has focused on emerging technologies and advises on the intersection of space, defence, and geopolitics - developing strategic assessments for government and industry, and fostering partnerships and investments between advanced technology companies and national defence sectors.

Mark served as Senior Advisor to the UAE Ministry of Defence for six years to establish and develop a strategic analysis capability. He has advised and briefed numerous governments, notably the GCC States, on geopolitical and defence affairs at senior levels, has worked with the UK and US national security establishments, and has managed and directed numerous high-level multilateral initiatives and governmental summits in a wide range of countries and continents.

With over 25 years of experience in geopolitics and defence affairs, Mark has held senior roles in both government and the private sector. He was the Founding Director of the Middle East Headquarters for the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in Bahrain, which he ran for six years with executive authority for regional interests. Mark was also the Director for the IISS Middle East Defence Summit, the Manama Dialogue, as well as its sister summit in Singapore, the Shangri-La Dialogue, and therefore has significant experience in the mechanisms of international defence diplomacy and engagement.

Mark has acted as a Senior Consultant within the Strategic Services Unit at Janes Defence Intelligence Group where he led bespoke open source intelligence analysis projects for defence ministries, militaries, and defence industry, and has worked with Deloitte Defence as an advisor and subject matter expert. He began his career as a geopolitical analyst for the Middle East with a boutique political risk consultancy, followed by a stint at Reuters, before deploying to Iraq in 2004 with the UK MOD as an interpreter and advisor.

Mark received a BA (Honours) from the University of Oxford in Arabic and Persian. He is British but has lived and worked extensively in the Middle East, including in Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, and the UAE.