Young Arab Leaders launches Third Arab and American Business Fellowship

The Fellowship's lead sponsor is the The Dow Chemical Company in the Middle East through its charitable arm, The Dow Chemical Company Foundation, part of Dow and YAL's signature program, the 'Arab and American Dialogue Program'. The AABF Program is also supported by the U.S. Centre for Citizen Diplomacy (USCCD) and the National U.S. Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC).

Now in its third year, the AABF is a cross-continental initiative that creates opportunities for high-potential business executives from both regions to explore each other's cultural and business environments in order to facilitate cross-cultural relationships and encourage dialogue that bridges understanding gaps between Arab and American societies, not simply between business communities, but between cultures as well.

The Fellowship Program started in New York with a two-day orientation on cross-cultural communication and business protocol, led by experts from Thunderbird School of Global Management and the Protocol School of Washington and attended by 16 Fellows from the Arab World and 12 from the US.

The AABF will last for three weeks during which American Fellows will be hosted by leading organizations and businesses in Arab World. Their Program includes visits to private and public businesses from various industries as well as to government and non-government organizations so that they may gain maximum insight into business best practices in the Middle East.

Arab Fellows, in turn, will be hosted by leading US businesses and organizations including The Dow Chemical Company, Motorola, RR Donnelley, Bloomberg, Rudin Management, Time Warner, United Airlines, DDB Worldwide, Pioneer Industries, New York Times, NBC Universal, MidAmerican Energy Co., Pioneer - A DuPont Company, and Wells Fargo Bank.

Each hosting organization has crafted programs that allow the Fellows to exchange information on how business is done differently on both continents. This new understanding will become invaluable as walls begin to crumble and Arab and American economies become more and more intertwined.

Commenting on the launch of the third edition of AABF, Assem O. Kabesh, Chief Executive Officer, YAL, said:

"The growing importance of this cross-cultural program mirrors the strong need for dialogue, at all levels, between the Arab people and the American people to know each other better, invest together in opportunities for a better future and discard any misunderstandings or preconceptions. Previous feedback from Fellows showed that exchange programs such as the AABF could be an efficient and reliable tool for this purpose."

Speaking at the launch of the event, Earl Shipp, President, Dow Chemical India, Middle East & Africa (IMEA), said, "Dow is proud to partner with Young Arab Leaders to launch this year's Arab American Business Fellowship. Programs such as the Fellowship play a leading role in breaking down cultural barriers and arming young men and women with the skills they need to drive the continued growth and prosperity of their respective communities."

Keith Reinhard, President of Business for Diplomatic Action, echoing sentiments expressed by President Obama in his Cairo address, said, "Now is the time for America to work aggressively to build global bridges of respect and trust with the world. This Fellowship is a unique opportunity to jumpstart such efforts with the Middle East."

Since the Arab and American Fellows are ambassadors for their countries, YAL and BDA have used a stringent screening process to choose the participants for the AABF Program. The ideal candidate is 28-35 years old and has a proven track record of excellence in their chosen careers. Furthermore, they will have consistently demonstrated their desire to give back to the community. Hence, the knowledge and expertise gained during the AABF Program will be disseminated not simply for their own benefit but for the benefit of everyone in their sphere of influence.