title: Derasat
text: # Derasat
  
  Derasat, or the Bahrain Center for Strategic, International & Energy Studies (دِراسات), is a government-sponsored think tank in Bahrain. Its name is the Arabic word for "studies". It was created in 2009 by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to make a contribution to the country's public policy decision-making.
  
  ## Leadership
  
  Abdulla bin Ahmed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Undersecretary for International Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain, became chairman of Derasat's Board of Trustees on 31 January 2017. The Board of Trustees was renewed at the same time by royal decree. As of 2015, the chairman had been Khalid Ibrahim Al Fadhala.
  
  As of May 2021, Hamad Ebrahim Al Abdullah was Derasat's Executive Director, after succeeding Katadah Abdul Hameed Zaman in 2020. The previous Executive Director was Khalid Mohamed Al Ruwaihi. As of 2020, Omar Al-Ubaydli was the organization's Director of Research.
  
  