Meriem Bahri

As Head of Programmes for the Middle East and Africa, Meriem provides strategic leadership and oversight across Thomson Foundation’s regional portfolio.

She is responsible for programme strategy, portfolio governance and delivery performance across multi-country initiatives, working closely with donors, partners and regional stakeholders to ensure programmes are contextually grounded, impact-driven and responsive to rapidly changing environments. 

Meriem has extensive experience leading complex and conflict-sensitive programmes across the Middle East and Africa, with an increasing focus on disinformation, information integrity, and resilience in fragile and politically volatile contexts. Over the past decade, she has worked with international and local partners to support journalists, media institutions, civil society organisations, and human rights defenders, while strengthening accountability, public-interest media and inclusive participation. 

She has contributed to and overseen initiatives in Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Iraq, Tunisia, Lebanon, Libya, and Morocco, designing and supporting programmes that respond to evolving conflict dynamics, online harms and misinformation ecosystems, while remaining grounded in local contexts and stakeholder needs.

Meriem holds an MA in English Literature and Culture Studies from the Ecole Normale Supérieure of Tunis and an MA in International Relations from the University of Bath. She speaks Arabic, French and English and is currently advancing her proficiency in Spanish.