Leyth Swidan

Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State

Leyth Swidan is a Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Department of State where he serves as a Saudi Arabia Desk Officer. He most recently served as a Staff Assistant in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. In this role, he supported the Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs in leading efforts to end the Israel-Hamas conflict, prevent regional instability, and increase humanitarian aid to Gaza. Prior to his Washington assignments, Leyth served as the Human Rights Officer and Visa Unit Chief at the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen and as a Vice Consul at the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, he served at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore and on the Syria Desk as a Pickering Fellow. Leyth holds an MPA from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and a B.A. in International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies from Pomona College. Leyth was included on the 2024 Arab America Foundation 30 Under 30 List and New America’s 2021 LGBTQIA+ Out in National Security Leadership List.