About the company:

What does Menas stand for?

Menas (not M.E.N.A.S) used to stand for Middle East & North African Studies but since 1988, when we diversified our coverage of regions to include other parts of Africa, Asia, the FSU and South America, it has stood for more than we initially intended or expected.

When was Menas formed and who by?

Menas Press was founded in the mid-70s by two academics from the University of London's School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), who then established Menas Services in 1978 to work on international border disputes and commercial arbitration cases. Menas Associates was conceived a decade later in 1988 to run the new strategic risk consultancy practice and publishing stable. The group was restructured in 2002 when the company's founders retired and Press and Services were then consolidated into Menas Associates with new directors and shareholders.

Who owns Menas Associates and what are their backgrounds?

We are a small privately-owned, UK Limited Liability Company, with the shares owned by its directors. Managing Director Dr Charles Gurdon, who joined Menas in 1981, is the majority shareholder. Our directors come from a variety of backgrounds including academia, business, banking and diplomacy.

Is Menas politically independent?

We have always been proud of our independence, enabling us to provide our all our clients with uninhibited and unbiased expertise, advice and analysis. Although our chairman's first career was with the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the company has never had any formal or informal links to the UK, any other region or its government.

What do Menas Associates do?

Menas Associates publishes 14 specialist electronic reports which provide cutting-edge news and analysis of political, strategic and security issues in the emerging markets of the Middle East, Africa, the FSU, Southeast Asia and Latin America. As well as that, Menas Associates uses its expertise through consulting on the best way to approach and maximise business potential in volatile, and often hostile, operating environments. For more information please see Menas Consulting.

How reliable is the information supplied by Menas Associates?

Menas Associates has a core team of senior specialists and a large network of in-country experts, analysts and sources with years of experience in their chosen field. Menas core team members are professionals in consulting, diplomacy, risk management, international banking, academia, law and journalism, and have lived and worked for decades in the countries on which they advise. Thus, all information supplied by Menas Associates is always accurate, reliable and exceptionally well researched.

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