RIYADH, 26 December 2004 — Young Arab Leaders (YAL), an independent pan-Arab organization aiming to galvanize 500 of the most accomplished, result-oriented young Arabs, has opened its first branch in Riyadh. It plans to recruit 100 Saudi executives as members next year.
The inaugural meeting, held at the headquarters of the Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG), was attended, among others, by SRMG Chairman Prince Faisal ibn Salman, who assured YAL of his group’s full support in promoting the cause of the association.
Other participants included Muhammad Al-Gergawi, chairman of YAL and CEO of Dubai Holding, Azzam Al-Dakhil, managing director of the Saudi Research & Publishing Co. (SRPC), and Abdul Wahab Al-Faiz, editor in chief of Al-Eqtisadiah, a sister publication of Arab News.
Speaking to Arab News, Al-Faiz, who has been named the secretary-general of the organization, said their immediate task is to get the association registered. This will be followed by a membership drive next year.
Besides business leaders, YAL’s membership is open to government officials, sportsmen, prominent public figures, journalists, musicians, artists and academics under 45 years of age. It will function from the headquarters of SRMG.
Al-Faiz said the association’s mission is to identify, promote and prepare the youth for a better future as tomorrow’s leaders. To this end, a selected number of YAL members will be groomed for responsible positions in their respective fields by putting them through a high-level training program abroad. The thrust of the program would be on how to build future leadership and how to pass on the mantle to future generations.
Young Arab Leaders aims at including 500 accomplished leaders from across the Middle East. An action plan has been drawn up in consultation with experts from different fields. YAL hopes to release its first annual report in 2005.
Spelling out the main objectives of the association, Al-Faiz said they include a cooperation program between the private and public sectors and between different Arab countries. “Our target for next year is to promote 10 key sectors in the region including tourism, manufacturing, IT, finance, sports, arts and culture.”
Set up in Dubai, YAL will also extend its network of branches to Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Oman, Bahrain, Morocco, Palestine and Kuwait. An interesting aspect of the association is the concept of mentorship under which its members of proven track record and leadership skills would guide others in making a qualitative change in their workstyle. A scholarship scheme is also planned, beginning with 50 scholarships.
Among other things, YAL will seek to promote dialogue with the youth through surveys and public opinion polls. One of its long-term goals is to organize the first survey of Arab youth’s perspective on the world in 2020 to gain an insight into their priorities. Another salient objective is to profile the 10 most inspiring Arab youth, both through their newsletter and the YAL website, Al-Faiz added.
