Young Arab Leaders announces 'Learning from the Future' project in partnership with the British Council

The project follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between YAL and the British Council which aims at building the capacity of young people from partner youth organisations around the Arab world to be able to handle the challenges facing the region in the future. A major youth meeting will launch the project on the 21st of April in Dubai that will bring together 120 youth from 13 Arab countries, the United Kingdom, and other countries from around the globe.

Commenting on the partnership, H.E. Dr. Omar Bin Sulaiman, Chairman of the Board of Directors, YAL said:

'YAL is committed to working towards building a prosperous environment by creating opportunities for Arab leaders in education, leadership development and entrepreneurship. Through our cooperation with the British Council, and with the support of the YAL Board of Trustees; HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, His Majesty King Abdullah II of Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and HH Sheikh Salman Bin Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa , Crown Prince of Bahrain, Commander-In-Chief of the Bahrain Defence Force, I am certain that the Learning from the Future project will prove to be an invaluable development tool for the region's future leaders.'

The British Council Middle East Regional Director, Mr. Rob Lynes said: 'The British Council is very proud to be partnering with YAL on this important initiative. Our long and strong presence in the region has provided us with great regional experience and an understanding of the skills and qualities demanded by the region's business environment. This Memorandum of Understanding represents another major step towards the improved training and education of the future generation of Arab leaders.'

As part of the programme, the youth will be given the opportunity to be exposed to global and regional issues that might rise in the near future such as climate change, the bipolar world, the energy crisis, and the relations between the Arab world and West. This will equip the youth with the ability to identify and prepare for the challenges they will face as a result, will address these concerns through joint regional work, and will be able to put them directly to the World Leaders meeting at the World Economic Forum in May in Sharm El-Sheikh.

His Excellency John Hawkins, HM Consul General, British Consulate Dubai, added: 'This is an exciting initiative led by two organisations committed to developing young leaders and giving opportunity to young people across the region. I am delighted that the inaugural event will be held in Dubai with the project then being taken forward across the Middle East, Near East and North Africa.'

The newly appointed CEO of Young Arab Leaders Mr. Assem O. Kabesh said: 'Although there are many organizations around the world providing learning and educational opportunities, the British Council is unique as it shares YAL's focus on connecting young people across all cultures. By combining the expertise of both organisations I truly expect the Learning from the Future project to become one of the most well known and established human development initiatives in the region.'

The two organisations will also facilitate the youths' exposure to a number of influential speakers from the YAL network, to learn from their personal experiences on how they managed to achieve their goals in life.

Youth from Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, will take part in the project, together with a group of global participants.