Young Arab Leaders UAE Chapter honours Saeed Al Muntafiq

Speaking at an event to honour the YAL's outgoing Chairman Saeed Al Muntafiq, and to welcome the new Chairman, Dr. Omar Bin Sulaiman, Governor of Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Baker acknowledged the significant contribution of the two leaders towards developing the regional organisation into a globally recognised forum. Dr. Omar has been an active member of the regional board of directors before becoming the current chairman of the YAL Organization.

Baker presented special mementos to Al Muntafiq Executive Chairman of Tatweer, and Dr. Bin Sulaiman for the positive impact their initiatives have had on the YAL at international, regional and local levels. More than 50 business, public sector and civil society leaders were present at the ceremony.

Baker said: "Young dedicated Arab leaders are the core of our organization and the foundation upon which it grows and develops. It relies on the strength of the leaders' commitment and their firm belief in progress. We profoundly appreciate our members for their ardent support of the organization's values and goals and for the valuable time and energy they commit to translate the vision into reality. At the local level, the organisation secured seven educational scholarships at the American University of Dubai for outstanding students showing potential leadership qualities, and has also launched the Alf Yad Fund to collect over Dhs100m in support of small and medium enterprises."

Al Muntafiq said:"I would like to thank all YAL members and team for their support and dedication; I can confidently say that YAL has firmly established itself as a tool for change in the Middle East. Through its global action forums, YAL built a very constructive dialogue and established strong ties with its peers in the rest of the world.

Dr. Bin Sulaiman said: "YAL stands excellent ground today; the road ahead requires sustainable plans and efforts, YAL chapter's initiatives and programs for the coming years are to touch more on youth concerns and issues in the Arab world while maintaining and developing more initiatives on the international level.

The 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 civil society, who are committed to improving the Arab world's status.