Jerusalem, Palestine & Jordan

Dr Hisham Khatib was born in Acre, Palestine and spent his youth and early career in Jerusalem, where he was the city's chief electrical engineer. He has lived in Amman, Jordan, since the early 1970s and for many years served in the Jordanian government as a minister. One of the world's leading energy experts and honorary vice chairman of the World Energy Council, Dr. Khatib has published widely on energy matters and the global environment. Alongside his professional activities, Dr. Khatib has collected paintings, lithographs, travel books, maps, atlases, and photographs on Jerusalem, Palestine, and Egypt. His rich and varied collection is one of the largest still in private hands. Sarah Searight is a well-travelled writer and historian, specializing in the Middle East. She comes from a family long involved in the region; her grandmother founded the Brooke Hospital for Animals that operates all over the region, and her father built up a celebrated art collection devoted to the region, now in the V&A. Sarah herself worked for many years as a journalist focusing mainly on regional cultural and economic issues. Previous publications include The British in the Middle East; New Orleans: a historical view; Steaming East: how steam transport developed on ancient trade routes between Europe and India: and Yemen: land and people.