CEOs and Directors from over 15 companies in the Middle East and North Africa Region met in Doha to discuss the future of Arab youth

Doha, Qatar, 3 June 2010 - INJAZ Al-Arab, a non profit organization that prepares and inspires the Arab youth to succeed in a global economy, met in Qatar this week to host its bi-annual meeting for board members, where they learnt more about the operation in the country and highlighted regional achievements.

Operating in 13 countries across the Middle East and North Africa region, INJAZ al-Arab - an affiliate of Junior Achievement World Wide - is a confederation of national operations collaborating with corporate volunteers and Ministries of Education to provide experiential education and training to Arab youth in work readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship.

INJAZ Al-Arab Regional board members visiting Doha included CEOs and managing directors of Bin Zayed Group, Abraaj Capital, Middle East Intel Corporation, Zain Group, Hill & Knowlton Middle East & Africa, Aramex, Amwal, Citi Group, McKinsey & Co, HSBC, and Bank of New York Mellon.  Sean Rush, President of Junior Achievement Worldwide, also visited Doha for the board meeting.

Speaking before the meeting, Sheikha Hanadi, founding chair of INJAZ Qatar, commented: "My role as part of INJAZ-Al Arab's regional board is of great importance to me and I'm delighted to have hosted the board meeting in my home country, Qatar. 

"INJAZ Qatar has been successful and very instrumental in shaping the students of Qatar today.  I am proud to be part of a network of Arab countries that are all aiming to prepare and inspire our youth for their future working lives." 

The two board meetings held in the Arab world each year rotate between member nations to provide an opportunity for the regional board to visit the different operations in each country. Past board meeting locations have included Jordan, Egypt, UAE and Lebanon. The next board meeting will be held in Morocco in October of this year.   

As the only organization in the MENA region that aims to equip students with practical business-related skills as part of the regular educational curriculum, INJAZ al-Arab programs offer students an unbroken chain of educational opportunities that will strengthen their innovation, deepen their understanding of the business world, and give them professional qualifications to enable their success in the global economy.

In parallel, it fosters among business leaders a responsibility for investing their resources in the future of the region's youth and becoming the mirrors they want to see in the world by mentoring and inspiring young people to rise to their true potential. Since its inception in 2004, INJAZ al-Arab programs have reached more than 500,000 students and engaged 10,000 volunteers.

A National Board of Directors leads each INJAZ country operation, with the INJAZ al-Arab Regional Board responsible for directing overall strategy and organizational governance. These bodies comprise the region's top business leaders who share a common ideal for the Arab youth.

With 100 million Arab students in the pipeline soon to be seeking jobs, it is crucial to engage the private sector to address this burning issue. Today, Injaz is reaching 170,000 students in 13 countries - Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and Yemen - with the mandate to take it across the region.  The organization's goal this decade is to reach one million youth each year by 2018. As the organization spreads to more and more communities, the INJAZ al Arab Regional Board plays a central role in keeping up with increasing demand.

Regional Board members lead the growth of this movement, set the direction for the 200 CEOs now serving on INJAZ country boards, and open new doors in the region.  Board members act as ambassadors in their own organizations, and the business community at large, to mobilize corporate volunteers and financial resources to support growth and attain sustainability.

INJAZ Qatar launched its operations in September 2007 and is chaired by Sheikha Hanadi AL Thani and includes on its board of Directors AMWAL, Qatar Financial Center Authority, HSBC, Exxon Mobil, Deloitte and Touche, Al Khaliji Commercial Bank, Carnegie Mellon University, and Blue Salon. 

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About INJAZ al-Arab
INJAZ al-Arab harnesses the mentorship of Arab business leaders to help inspire a culture of entrepreneurialism and business innovation among Arab youth.

Operating in 13 countries across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, INJAZ al-Arab is a confederation of national operations collaborating with corporate volunteers and Ministries of Education to provide experiential education and training to Arab youth in work readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship.

The only organization in the MENA region that aims to equip students with practical business-related skills as part of the regular educational curriculum, INJAZ al-Arab programs offer students an unbroken chain of educational opportunities that will strengthen their innovation, deepen their understanding of the business world, and give them professional qualifications to enable their success in the global economy.  

In parallel, it fosters among business leaders a responsibility for investing their resources in the future of the region's youth and becoming the mirrors they want to see in the world by mentoring and inspiring young people to rise to their true potential. Since its inception in 2004, INJAZ al-Arab programs have reached 500,000 students and engaged 10,000 volunteers.

A National Board of Directors leads each INJAZ country operation, with the INJAZ al-Arab Regional Board responsible for directing overall strategy and organizational governance. These bodies comprise the region's top business leaders who share a common ideal for the Arab youth.

INJAZ al-Arab is a member of Junior Achievement Worldwide (JA Worldwide).

About JA Worldwide™
JA Worldwide is the world's largest organization committed to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Now in its 91st year, JA Worldwide provides hands-on, experiential learning in financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and work readiness to 9.8 million students annually.  With offices in 123 countries - and an extensive network of partners from the private and public sectors - JA Worldwide mobilizes a global force of business volunteers to teach in-school and after-school programs that give students the tools they need today, to succeed tomorrow. These programs show young people how to generate wealth and effectively manage it, how to create jobs, which make their communities more robust, and how to apply entrepreneurial thinking to the workplace.  Students put these lessons into action, and help strengthen their communities.  For more information, please visit www.ja.org.

For Inquiries & Information Please Contact:
Haneez Zattam Amr
Executive Director, INJAZ Qatar
Haneez@injaz-arabia.org
+974 454 8659

Hala Saqqa
Hala.saqqa@hillandknowlton.com
+971 50 48 25 726

© Press Release 2010