His Majesty King Abdullah on Saturday said he was looking forward to the meeting Jordan is hosting for the Young Arab Leaders (YAL) organization later this year.
More than 500 YAL members and young leaders from the Arab world will convene at the Dead Sea on Nov. 22-23 to discuss issues of concern to the organization.
As the King and Her Majesty Queen Rania met with the YAL board of directors and chapters' directors in Aqaba today, he voiced hope the organization would rise to expectations in addressing the challenges facing the Arab world.
YAL Chairman Saeed Muntafeq briefed the King and Queen on the organization's mission and its action plan for 2006-2007.
Before meeting with the King, YAL's board and heads of chapters had met for two days in Aqaba to discuss their future strategy.
Following the meeting, they announced the election of Marwan Jumaa as head of YAL's Jordan Chapter, succeeding Reem Badran. The board thanked Badran for her efforts, highlighting her contributions to the organization's programmes.
YAL is an independent not-for-profit association with headquarters in Dubai and regional chapters in various Arab countries.
It is a network comprising 500 Arab men and women “who have seen the power of action in their own lives, reached unprecedented levels of success for their age, who are positive and can see beyond today's difficulties to that vision of a prosperous Arab future,” according to the YAL website.
These young leaders, who are currently in prominent positions of responsibility and are destined for extraordinary achievement, believe their efforts today can have an impact on their communities, countries and the region as a whole.
The organization's mission is “to improve the state of the Arab world by creating the necessary environment for future leaders to grow and develop across all sectors of Arab society.”
It seeks to create better opportunities for education and new means of income- generation, and to help Arab youth become tomorrow's leaders.
Each year, YAL commits to implementing an action plan that sets the organization's strategic vision. They undertake projects focusing on mentorship and education, while producing sector-specific plans designed to increase income-generation opportunities for youth.
The Jordan Times