Middle East Activity
Philip Eliason has extensive experience in dealing with the Middle East.
In early 2008, PEAA, at the request of the Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment and Development - a multi-state, commercially oriented, research and development organisation, arranged a 10 day visit to Australia. The aim of the visit was to to discuss soil, water plant analysis, ground water, precision farming and co-operative farm ventures with senior scientists at the University of Sydney and University of Adelaide, CSIRO, and a number of growers in South Australia.
In Canberra the AAAID delegation met officials from the Bureau of Rural Science to discuss integration of science into agricultural policy design.
From left: Dr Ali Zidane AAAID, Dr Nawfal Rasheed AAAID group leader, Dr Colin Grant Executive Director of the BRS (back row), Dr Kim Ritman General Manger BRS (back row), Karina Budd Senior Scientist BRS, Philip Eliason of PEAA, Dr Malik Malik AAAID and Jenny Bibo Communications Manager BRS (front)
Further experience includes:
- Advised Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) staff on issues relating to establishment, operational issues and business planning for the DFAT Council on Arab Australian Relations based on four years' membership of the Board of the Australia Indonesia Institute and national policy issues relating to the Middle East
- Researched in 2003, using Arab technical sources, Iraq's agricultural situation to inform Australian policy on Iraqi reconstruction and the establishment Reconstruction Assistance Facility for Iraq (reviewed in late October and November 2007) with information passed to AusAID
- Advised DFAT's Iraq Task Force on socio-economic issues relating to rural and institutional reform in Iraq under Australia's post-war interest in working on agricultural issues
- Presented workshops on trade policy and multinational corporate behaviour and lobbying techniques to Iraqi diplomats brought to the ANU's Asia Pacific School of Diplomacy by AusAID - Presented in Arabic to DFAT workshops to Arab officials in 2006 and 2007
- Advised, in April 2003, an Australian development assistance firm on Iraq issues in the lead up to AusAID's RAFI Iraq reconstruction tender.
- Research and writing of tender documentation for an Australian development assistance firm, a bidder for AusAID's Iraq RAFI reconstruction management tender, and sought by other development firms to support their bid
- Advice to the Commonwealth's Department of Environment and Heritage Iraq Cultural Reference Group on policy options to assist international efforts to recover and protect Iraq's antiquities after the looting to Iraq's National Museum
- Broadcast of an analysis on Iraq (and separately on Libya) for ABC Radio National's "Perspective" program and wrote editorials on Libya for the Australian Financial Review
- Initiation and implementation in 2004 of Australia's first workshop for the science/R&D community on prospects for engagement in Iraq passing the results to DFAT Ministers and AusAID
- Primary interface between Austrade and Coalition Provisional Authority (later the Project Management Office) in Iraq while contracted with Austrade in 2003-04
- Austrade member of Iraq Taskforce in late 2003 and early 2004
- Facilitating for the Libyan Gadhafi family the visits to Australia of Saadi Gadhafi and initiating, and with later support services, the potential sale of patrol vessels by Austal (a WA shipbuilder) to Libya worth A$200 million
- Under the Keating Government, Philip Eliason was a member of a Review Panel for the Minister of Education examining Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies in Australia reporting to the Education Minister Member of the Advisory Board to Macquarie University's Middle East Centre
- Prepared a study of market conditions in 20 Middle East and Central Asian countries for sale of consulting services (eg pension design, welfare budgeting etc) for the consulting business of the then Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services
- Visited Dubai and Doha (Qatar) in late 2007 to explore cultural links between Qatar and Australia in the field of museums and literature, infrastructure development and housing
- In 2009 Philip spent 12 months working at high level mamangement of a UK funded aid project in Yemen. During this time Philip has developed an important understanding of cultural, tribal and political influences on Yemeni society, politics and the economy. This information serves as the basis for a timely and topical consultancy service for corportations and governements wanting to take advantage of a unique and current locally gained knowledge about Yemen.
