Created in 2000, the Middle East Center for Culture and Development (MECCAD) is an independent non for profit organization aimed at building and disseminating knowledge and expertise regarding the development and use of cultural resources for social, economic, and human development in the Arab World. It serves as a focal point and a clearing-house to enhance collaboration and partnerships among professionals and organizations working in the fields of arts, culture and socioeconomic development.

  MECCAD is based in Amman and it also maintains an international office in New York that works closely with its domestic and international partners to promote research, training and cultural exchanges within the Arab World and between the Arab World and the rest of the world.

  MECCAD's long list of partners include among which are, the International Music Centre (IMZ) in Vienna, the National Music Conservatory (NMC) in Amman, the Beiteddine Festival in Lebanon, Cultural Engineering (CE) in New York & Dubai, Arts International (AI) in New York, the Forum for African Arts at Cornell University in New York, Institute for Cultural Enterprise (ICE) in New York, and the International Association of Music Products Manufacturers (NAAM), the L.A. African Marketplace in Los Angeles and the Latin American Cultural Market in Bahia, just to name a few .