Following the Global Youth Forum and in partnership with The British Council

October 28, 2010: Following the successful conclusion of the Global Youth Forum held in Abu Dhabi on 6-7 October. Al Ahli Holding Group and in partnership with the British Council, Sharjah Tatweer Forum and Business Development Center announced the 4th cycle of the Global Business Opportunities program (GBO) to be held in the UK in February 2011.

GBO is an unprecedented educational and cultural project, aiming to create working groups among youth from distant and different cultures to identify business opportunities and develop entrepreneurship skills.

Just as the Global Youth Forum (GYF) aimed to provide young people with the opportunity to discover and develop their skills in launching and managing their own business projects, the GBO - UK will give 30 future entrepreneurs from the UAE, UK and Jordan an intensive training period of three weeks, during which they will be introduced to administrative, marketing, financing, financial and human resources skills.

The GYF was attended by over 28 speakers representing government, academic, non-profit organisations and private sector institutions, including H.E. Juan Costa Clement, former Spanish Minister of Science and Technology; H.E. Ruben Caro, the Ambassador of Argentina to the UAE; and Mr. Richard Cotton, country director of the British Council. The forum was attended by a number of key figures and ambassadors of the countries participating in the forum, along with a number of presidents, deans and heads of departments of various colleges and universities in the UAE.

Mr. Mohamed Khammas, CEO of Al Ahli Group said, "With the GYF, we are taking forward the vision of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and their brothers, Their Highnesses the Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates, in believing that investing in the new generation is the key to the development and prosperity of our nation and the region."

He added, "The CSR Division of Al Ahli Holding Group has directed all its programs and initiatives towards the development of our youth since its creation. Today, and in a period as short as two years, we have succeeded, with the generous help of our partners and sponsors, in creating an international event that we believe will help build a platform of new entrepreneurs and business leaders."

Over the course of two days, more than 150 young Emirati men and women gathered with 50 young people from different countries from around the world including the United Kingdom, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, Jordan and Bahrain, where the forum helped those young people overcome cultural barriers and gave them an opportunity to establish networks and partnerships.

Ms. Lina Hourani, Director of the CSR Division of Al Ahli Holding Group said, "We are very proud of designing and organising initiatives like the GYF, as we strongly believe that it is our duty as a private sector company to create and develop programmes that contribute to youth empowerment and nurture their skills in a manner that will help them become job providers rather than job seekers."

On the sidelines of the forum, the Al Ahli Holding Group honoured the winners of the Global Business Opportunities programme during a reception hosted by the Argentinean embassy in honour of the participating delegations. Mr. Mohammad Khammas of Al Ahli Group and the ambassador of Argentina announced the winning team and handed over a cash prize and trophy in the presence of a large number of ambassadors, including the ambassador of Brazil who witnessed the Brazilian team - composed of Rashid Ahmed al Jumairi and Abdul Rahman bin Thalith (UAE), Bianca Gentil and Fabio Dias (Brazil) - win the first prize.

Al Ahli Holding Group also works on a number of initiatives via its CSR division focusing on the development, support and empowerment of Arab youth and on the dissemination of thought leadership in the region through different internship and fellowship programs.

-Ends-

About Al Ahli Holding Group:
Al Ahli Holding Group is a multi-disciplined national company with a diverse portfolio of activities ranging from real estate to turnkey construction, engineering products and factories, shopping malls and retail, cement, printing, plastic manufacturing, theme parks and strategic and innovative developments - a total of 20 diverse and growing businesses. The group's latest mixed-use development is the $1 billion Dubai Outlet City.

ABOUT CSR:
CSR is the philanthropic arm of Al Ahli Holding Group. Its aim is to develop Emirati youth, building their skills and widening their horizons. Using the power of partnership and co-operation with different organisations as a vehicle, we will join our hands with them to create the business leaders of tomorrow.

For more information please contact:
Ali Koaik
CSR Division Events Manager
Al Ahli Holding Group
T   +971 4 3679600
F   +971 4 3679009
alik@alahligroup.com
www.alahligroup.com

© Press Release 2010