25 young leaders from the US and Europe arrive in UAE for project encounter's Gulf Exchange programme

The Gulf Exchange is the flagship programme of Project Encounter, an independent UAE-based non-profit initiative currently hosted by the Dubai School of Government, a research and teaching institution focusing on public policy in the Arab world. The project is organized in partnership with Mideastwire.com.

The visit, which runs from 22 - 31 May, includes more than 30 meetings and events in the UAE and Qatar. The students' itinerary in Dubai includes visits to the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), MBC, Dubai Courts, Dubai Police and Etisalat offices. The visitors will also tour Masdar, The National newspaper and the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi. In Qatar, the schedule includes a visit to the offices of Al Jazeera and Qatar Foundation, as well as the Doha Debates and the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha.

Taufiq Rahim, Co-Executive Director of Project Encounter, said: "Ten years after 9/11, there is a spirit of change in the region, and there is a real opportunity to build stronger bonds of understanding between the Middle East and the Western world. In this spirit, we see the inaugural Gulf Exchange as part of a long-term effort at Project Encounter to empower potential ambassadors of engagement between the East and West."

Chosen primarily from leading graduate institutions in Europe and North America through a competitive application process, the 25 participants in the Gulf Exchange will have the opportunity to meet with a wide range of GCC citizens and residents, and to immerse themselves in the rich culture of the region. They will then become part of a growing network of what Project Encounter terms 'ambassadors of engagement.' Each Gulf Exchange visit is uniquely customized according to the nature of the participants.

Fadi Salem, Director of Project Encounter, said: "While most of our current Gulf Exchange participants are either current graduate students or have recently finished their studies, in future versions of Gulf Exchange we plan to target specific sectors of opinion leaders such as journalists, business figures, community activists and religious figures. With each trip, we hope to broaden external perceptions of this region and empower the participants to do the same as they return to their respective communities."

Launched in early 2011, Project Encounter is led by a small entrepreneurial team based in the UAE. The initiative is supported by a wide network of volunteers, organizations and corporate sponsors, and has four core activities: the Gulf Exchange program; dialogue with student delegations visiting the region; UAE+1, by which engagement programming is added to existing cultural and civic events; and, Encounter 2012, an international conference involving global stakeholders playing a role in Muslim world-West engagement.

Nick Billotti, Co-Executive Director of Project Encounter, said: "Although a number of initiatives have emerged in recent years to facilitate cross-cultural interaction, relatively few are active in the Middle East. That's where Project Encounter works to make an impact — by providing a platform that promotes vibrant on-the-ground encounter from within the region and not merely about it."