YAL to participate in forum to expand global network in Latin America

Following the success of the Global Action Forums in Asia and North America, a prime delegation of the Young Arab Leaders (YAL), the foremost development platform for business, public sector and civil society leaders in the Middle East, will hold the first Arab-Latin American Forum in Santiago (Chile) under the patronage of President Michelle Bachelet of Chile.

The delegation will meet key political leaders, businessmen and academicians from Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Peru and El Salvador with the objective to expand the YAL Global Network, build solidarity between Arab and Latin American countries in international circles and explore possibilities of improving relations with the Arab world.

President Michelle Bacheler of Chile will inaugurate the forum that will be held from 30 October - 1 November. The event is part of the sixth anniversary celebrations of the Bethlehem 2000 Foundation, one of the most reputed think-tank of the Arab-Latin American Federation, an organization mandated to strengthen the social, cultural, and economic ties between Latin America and the Arab region.

The first day of the forum will include - 'Dialogue between Arab and Latin American leaders: On the way to new relations'. The second day will host strategic meetings between the YAL delegation and members of the private and public sectors. The outcomes of the conference will be presented at the Second Arab American Action Forum, in early 2008.

Led by Saeed Al Muntafiq, Chairman of the Board of Young Arab Leaders and Executive Chairman of Tatweer, the YAL delegation will include Abdul-Malik Al Jaber, Chairman of the Young Arab Leaders Palestine Chapter and Vice Chairman and CEO of Palestine Telecommunication Group; Tariq Baker, Chairman of the Young Arab Leaders UAE Chapter and CEO, DUTCO Group; and Mohammad Khammas, Vice Chairman of the Young Arab Leaders UAE Chapter and CEO, Al Ahli Group. The delegation will also comprise members of the YAL-UAE, including Sheikh Khalid Bin Zayed, Chairman, Bin Zayed Group; Dr. Habib Al Mulla, Managing Partner and Founder, Habib Al Mulla & Company; Ahmad Sharaf, Senior Vice President - Health Care & Energy, Tatweer; Hussain Lootah, CEO of Dubai Media Incorporated; Hesham Al Qassim, CEO of Dubai Real Estate Corporation; and Saeed Ahmad Belhasa, CEO, Belhasa Group.

Saeed Al Muntafiq, Chairman of YAL Board, said: 'Our participation will expand our global network in Latin America, which has more than 18 million people of Arab origin, one of the largest communities outside the Arab world.'

'Through dialogue with leaders in Latin American, we look forward to setting up new initiatives in entrepreneurship, education and thought leadership.'

In addition to President Michelle Bachelet, the YAL delegation will also meet prominent Latin American leaders such as William Handal, Minister of Economy of El Salvador; Alejandro Foxley, Foreign Affairs Minister of Chile; and Paolo Atallah, Vice-President of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce.

The YAL team will also meet prominent Latin American business leaders such as Carlos Massad, leading economist and former Executive Director of IMF, Jorge Selume, Director of CorpBanca in Chile, and Bruno Philippi, President of the Federation of Chilean Industry (SOFOFA).

Young Arab Leaders (YAL) is an independent pan-Arab organization that aims to create a new generation of young leaders capable of actively participating in the region's development process and driving it into a new phase of growth. It is a network of the region's leaders from the business community, politics, academia, media, arts, culture and all other areas of civil society, who are committed to improving the state of the Arab world.