Established in 1998, the Afro-Middle East Centre (AMEC) aims to foster, produce and disseminate the highest quality of research on the Middle East, to maintain public discussion and to help shape the public discourse on issues related to the Middle East. Amec's research includes relations between Africa and the Middle East.

AMEC engages in funded research on the contemporary Middle East, and accepts research commissions from government, business, academia, non-governmental organisations, and community-based organisations.

AMEC has been based in Johannesburg, South Africa, since its establishment. The Centre's first Executive Director was Waddah Khanfar, who later went on to become the General Manager of the Al-Jazeera media network based in Doha, Qatar.