The Middle East Institute (MEI) was founded in 1946 with the primary goal of fostering knowledge and understanding about the Middle East among Americans. George Camp Keiser, a Middle East scholar, and former Secretary of State, Christian Herter, transformed the organization from its initial roots at the Johns Hopkins University School for Advanced International Studies into an independent nonprofit organization. The Institute became a groundbreaking entity focused on issues in the post-war Middle East, a region experiencing rapid economic, political and social change as well as increasing importance to America. The Institute's charter promised "to increase knowledge of the Middle East among citizens of the United States and to promote a better understanding between the people of these two areas."

MEI undertook an interdisciplinary approach to studying the Middle East, an area stretching from Morocco to Pakistan, including Central Asia, by developing comprehensive regional studies and policy analysis. MEI's beginnings were marked by the creation of several programs that still exist today. The George Camp Keiser Library, home to the most comprehensive Middle East collection in Washington, D.C., outside of the Library of Congress, was established in 1946. A year later, the Institute created The Middle East Journal, a highly regarded and widely read academic publication providing a forum for the clash of views about turbulent Middle East issues. One thread was common throughout: MEI would facilitate discussion while remaining a non-partisan organization.

Despite initially limited funding, MEI became known for its reliable, unbiased, and insightful analysis of the Middle East. Early MEI initiatives included: seminars, which addressed subjects such as the Syrian and Lebanese economies in the 1950s; biannual newsletters that delivered country reports from Morocco to Iran; and annual conferences, which offered constructive public dialogue about the Middle East on key issues. MEI's conferences addressed myriad topics: the impact of the Middle East energy crisis and petrodollar problems on Americans; Soviet policy toward the region; violence and dialogue in the Middle East; and, the changing US-Middle East relationship.

In 1950, the Institute launched the Middle East Bulletin, a new monthly newsletter which is still in circulation today. The Bulletin informs members of recent Institute activities and developments in the region.

In 1953 MEI offered its first language courses. By 1972 MEI had a well-established language program offering instruction in Middle Eastern languages. In 2005 MEI's Department of Languages and Regional Studies became nationally accredited through ACCET. Today the department continues to offer multiple levels of Arabic, Hebrew, Persian and Turkish language classes as well as courses about the Middle East. The department enjoys an excellent reputation and high enrollment throughout the year.

In the late sixties and early seventies, then-MEI President, Ambassador Raymond O'Hare, affirmed "The Institute...has a service function to those with a serious interest in the Middle East rather than to any one grouping." Subsequently, MEI's outreach activities expanded to serve the interests of a broader community. In addition to numerous book publications, lectures and conferences, MEI created a directory of Middle Eastern organizations. The organization also produced an insider newsletter called the Middle East Monitor.

In the eighties and nineties, MEI hosted a number of press and congressional briefings, such as "Choices and Challenges in the Gulf" and lunchtime public lectures in a continued effort to provide enlightened information and train contemporary leaders.

The creation of a Public Policy Center in late 1999 welcomed a number of scholars-in-residence and adjunct scholars to research and provide expert commentaries on pressing issues. Scholars hail from the United States and the Middle East.

Today, with a growing membership of approximately 1,400, MEI serves as a primary resource on the Middle East for policymakers, journalists and the public. Its refined mission is to “promote knowledge of the Middle East in America and strengthen understanding of the United States by the people and governments of the region.” MEI’s successful event series has recently hosted such distinguished speakers as former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and 9/11 Commission member John Lehman.