Gordon Gray III (born 1956) is the Kuwait Professor of Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Affairs[1] at George Washington University.

[8][9] He served as the chief operating officer of the Center for American Progress, a research and advocacy institute in Washington, DC, from September 2017 until October 2021.

[26] Gray serves on the Board of Directors of AMIDEAST[27] and the Tunisian-American Young Professionals Association[28] as well as on the advisory council of the Middle East Institute's North Africa and Sahel program.

As director for regional affairs in the Office of the Coordinator for Counter-terrorism before 9/11, Gray predicted the rising threat of Bin Laden and Al Qaeda.

During the release of classified State Department cables, it was revealed that Gray criticized the Tunisian government's human rights record and its policies relating to press freedom.

[35] Indeed, he is credited with informing former President Ben Ali not only that he needed to relinquish power, but that he could not count United States for exile.

[citation needed] The U.S. response to Tunisian riots was poorly received, and as such it was Gray who was called to explain the reasons for the Obama administration's condemnation of the Ben Ali regime's handling of the unrest.

[39] In regard to the Tunisian political upheaval in January 2011, Ambassador Gray has come out calling for both protesters and government forces alike to act with responsibility, noting that democratic demonstrations are a "new phenomenon" in Tunisia[40] In May 2012, Gray criticized a Tunisian court's charges of "disturbing public order" and "threatening public morals" against TV magnate Nabil Karoui, who aired a French film which violates a prohibition in Islam by showing a depiction of God.

[41][42] As Gray prepared to leave his post in July 2012, he expressed optimism over Tunisia's future thanks to the nation's capable government and military, adding that a stable democracy is well within the country's grasp.