Middle East businesswomen participate in women business leaders' summit in US

The Washington D.C. summit, which builds on the previous success of regional summits, including the one held in Jordan last February 2007, represents the best kind of public diplomacy, utilising some great resources - the American and the Jordanian people - to address the challenges faced by all women in business, and establish connections on professional and personal levels.

The U.S. Office of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, led by Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes, joined with Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, Chairman of the American Red Cross, President and CEO of Pace Communications and former U.S. Ambassador to Finland, designed to establish personal connections and facilitate links between American and Middle Eastern business communities.

"In representing Jordan's Information Technology Association in Jordan (Int@j) and ESKADENIA Software, the summit has been rewarding in so many ways. We got to meet business leaders in one-to-one advocacy and had a first-hand overview about the issues and the opportunities that are available to business women in the U.S. and Jordan within the ICT sector. The Jordanian delegation was warmly welcomed by all and it was an insightful experience indeed", stated Ms Doha Abdelkhaleq, board member at int@j and a Managing Partner and Co-Founder of ESKADENIA Software.

The summit programme focused on issues such as the power of partnership, ways for business success, intercultural understanding and the World Bank Group Gender Action Plan. The programme agenda included auditing training sessions at the University of Harvard in Boston and one-to-one business and advocacy meetings sponsored by Raytheon.

The first day, participants were addressed over breakfast by the Region's ambassadors in Washington D.C. HRH Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al Hussein, Jordan's Ambassador to the USA, stressed on the strategic importance of the Jordanian women participating in the new economy; he highlighted the Jordanian model that is based on transparency and inclusion. The group were escorted for a visit to Riggs Library at Georgetown University where they were welcomed by University President John DeGioia, Karen Hughes, and Bonnie McElveen-Hunter.

The delegation visited the Capitol Hill and met with the U.S. Woman Senators listening to current issues on international cooperation. The height of the visit ended at the White House where the group was cordially met by the First Lady Mrs Laura Bush who extended a warm welcome to the group with an uplifting speech in empowerment of women everywhere. She also stressed on the benefits attained through participating at this summit programme for women of the world to create a better world.