Silatech hosts visiting delegation of young leaders

The current visit runs from January 20-29, and includes a wide variety of meetings and events scheduled in Qatar and the UAE.

The Gulf Exchange is the flagship programme of Project Encounter, an independent UAE-based non-profit initiative.

Silatech is a Qatar-based social initiative that works to create jobs and expand economic opportunities for young people throughout the Arab world.

The delegation was welcomed to Silatech by CEO Dr. Tarik Yousef, along with other Silatech management and staff, for an overview of the economic and social challenges facing Arab youth, as well as efforts being made by Silatech and other organizations to promote opportunities for young people in the region.

The following discussion touched on issues including education systems and youth employability, changes brought by the 'Arab spring', and the rapid pace of change in Qatar and other GCC countries.

According to Silatech CEO Dr. Tarik M. Yousef, "Linking people, ideas and resources on behalf of youth are what Silatech is about, so the opportunity to converse with future leaders about the challenges that their fellow youth in the Arab world face is one that we were happy to have. Project Encounter is building bridges of understanding between the Arab world and the West, and we at Silatech are proud to support their mission."

Project Encounter is a non‐profit initiative based in the UAE. It was founded in early 2011 with the objective of promoting constructive engagement between the Middle East and West. The Gulf Exchange brings 25 young influence-­‐makers and future leaders from North America and Europe to the Gulf, featuring an integrated itinerary to deepen understanding of the political, economic and social dimensions of the Middle East.

On this trip, the participants will meet with leading figures from the public, private and social sectors. The participants themselves are selected based on stringent application criteria, with many attending top graduate institutions in their respective countries.

Co-founder Taufiq Rahim commented, "This trip, the fourth of its kind, brings the total alumni of the programme to 100. It is very fitting to have the participants visit Silatech because of the belief of both of our organizations in investing in young people as bridge-builders and social innovators—not just for the future, but starting today."