The DIFC Centre of Excellence, the regional hub for executive and professional development and education, recently hand picked several local students to attend the Young Arab Leaders (YAL) Forum in New York. Sponsored by Al Ahli Group, a leading UAE based multi-disciplined company; the students were taken to the event to act as representatives of the region and gained valuable experience from attending the high level conference and seminar.
The YAL Global Action Forum in New York focused on Arab and American dialogue and offered an ideal opportunity to increase mutual understanding and develop business relationships between the Arab and American nations whilst establishing long-term networks of cooperation between the two regions.
Faten Hani, CEO of the DIFC Centre of Excellence said: “As the world’s economic environment continues to develop, we understand the importance of dialogue and are committed to enhancing and improving the level of cross-cultural communication that is so important in today’s ever changing world. By sending the students to the forum, the DIFC has reaffirmed its commitment to the education and development of a generation of future leaders. We are delighted to see that the students have returned both empowered and inspired.”
Mohammed Khammas, CEO of Al Ahli Group added: “We are delighted to be supporting YAL in their efforts to develop the region’s human capital by offering this invaluable opportunity to the selected students. Attending the YAL New York Forum offered the students an opportunity to discuss and debate the key topics affecting Arabs in the international business community and has provided them with a sound foundation for their future growth and development.”
YAL’s members have been hand-picked from a broad cross-section of disciplines including business, politics, academia, media, arts, culture and civil society. They are a new generation of leaders with a far-reaching vision, working to shape the region’s future through the implementation of bold strategies, cultivating innovation in the Arab world and addressing regional policy reform issues.
Assem O. Kabesh, CEO of YAL said: “As Arab businessmen and women continue their emergence on the global business scene we are committed to providing every opportunity for young Arabs to prosper in their chosen careers. The Young Arab Leaders (YAL) is the region’s foremost development platform for business, public sector and civil society leaders in the Middle East and we hope that attending the New York forum will motivate the young students to great things in the future.”
Specially selected from the American University of Sharjah and Zayed University, the seven students acted as rapporteurs to the discussions and will compose a report on the conference. The report will be published on the YAL and Centre of Excellence websites.
About Young Arab Leaders
The Young Arab Leaders is a network of Arab men and women who have seen the power of action in their own lives, reached unprecedented levels of success for their age, are positive and can see beyond today’s difficulties to that vision of a prosperous Arab future. These leaders are currently in prominent positions of responsibility and are destined for extraordinary achievement, and they believe that their efforts today can have an impact on their communities, countries and the region as a whole. For more information please visit: www.yaleaders.org
About the DIFC Centre of Excellence
The DIFC Centre of Excellence was established as a hub for executive and professional development and education. The centre was created by the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and will reach out to professionals within the Middle East, North Africa, Eastern Africa, the Caspian Subcontinent and the Indian Subcontinent. The centre is situated within the DIFC, the world’s fastest growing financial centre and at the heart of cosmopolitan Dubai.
The DIFC Centre of Excellence aims to develop a talent pool of professionals for and from the region through partnering with top ranking business schools, professional development providers, corporate universities, as well as certification, accreditation and rating organizations.
Currently the partners and programmes include: London Business School (EMBA, executive education programmes, and custom designed programmes); Cass Business School (Offering the world’s first EMBA with a specialization in Islamic Finance in the world from the DIFC, Energy or General Management and Finance); Queens School of Business (executive education programmes); Securities and Investments Institute (SII) (finance training, examination and certification activities); the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) (membership in the CII and Certified Insurance and Finance programmes); and the International Bar Association (IBA). In order to accommodate the needs and interests of busy professionals, the DIFC Centre of Excellence offers a mix of programmes, from one day workshops all the way to a higher degree.
About Al Ahli Group
Al Ahli Group is a multi-disciplined national company that was founded in the late 1960’s and has 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.
