Young Arab Leaders (YAL), the region’s foremost development platform for business, public sector and civil society leaders, signed a strategic partnership agreement with Microsoft Gulf to develop the Youth Empowerment and Development (YED) initiative.
The agreement was signed by Assem O. Kabesh, Chief Executive Officer, YAL, and Charbel Fakhoury, General Manager, Microsoft Gulf in the presence of Pamela Passman, Global Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Microsoft Corp. and Dr. Zaki Khoury, Gulf Citizenship Lead.
The partnership aims to foster the development of future Arab leaders and empower youth with the skills they need to compete in the global economy. In addition, YAL and Microsoft will work towards developing a set of guidelines that will address pressing issues across sectors such as education, employability and entrepreneurship to increase economic and social prosperity.
Commenting on the partnership, Pamela Passman, Corporate Vice President, Global Corporate Affairs, Microsoft said, “As the Middle East continues to emerge as a dynamic region, we are committed to working closely with organisations such as YAL to further support the development of the individuals and communities in which we operate. We are delighted to join hands with YAL to develop a program that will allow young men and women in the region to gain insight into the rich, diverse and evolving business environment while gaining the skills they need to compete in today’s knowledge economy. Microsoft remains committed to helping countries in the region harness the power of technology for economic and social prosperity.”
Assem O. Kabesh, Chief Executive Officer, YAL, said, “With the Youth Empowerment and Development, YED, initiative, YAL and Microsoft seek to help Arab youth develop the knowledge and skills necessary for the 21st century workplace. One of the means by which we will achieve this is by facilitating access to the Microsoft Education & Technology platform. This initiative will offer support to participants of all of YAL’s related programs and projects over the next three years. Through our initiatives, YAL aims to develop a new generation of Arab youth who can lead the region to greater progress and prosperity. We are confident that our partnership with Microsoft will support us in the task of empowering and equipping young leaders who can drive productivity and competitiveness in the Arab world.”
The partnership with YAL is in line with Microsoft’s Unlimited Potential initiatives that create social and economic opportunity through programs and products that transform education, foster local innovation and enable jobs and opportunities worldwide.