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Youth Ambassadors

The Middle East Youth Initiative is working with a select group of youth ambassadors who are tuned into their local communities and keen to communicate their insights on social and economic inclusion of young people in their countries. Current discourse among youth leaders and practitioners on this issue can be found in our Point of View section.*

  • Joulan Abdulkhalek is our Youth Ambassador from Beirut, Lebanon, where he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Economics with a minor in Engineering Management from the American University of Beirut (AUB). He interned at Daimler Financial Services Strategy Department during the summer of 2008 and will be studying International Political Economy at the London School of Economics beginning in the fall of 2009. He has participated in numerous training programs and conferences, including the Leadership Training Program at Georgetown University during the summer of 2007, the Learning from the Future conference in Dubai in April 2008, and the Young Arab Leaders regional conference in Beirut in May 2009. Joulan has five years of experience in commercial acting. Learn more about Joulan's Point of View, where he discusses youth realities in Lebanon.
  • Alaa Al-Mizyen is our Youth Ambassador from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She is currently a student at Dar Al-Hekma College where she is majoring in banking and finance. She founded “Saudi Arabia’s Women of Tomorrow,” a student organization to encourage a leadership role for women in the college community, and has written on the role of women in business and politics, education system reform, and the environment. She represented Saudi Arabia at the Learning from the Future conference in Dubai in April 2008. Learn more about Alaa's Point of View, where she presents youth realities in Saudi Arabia.
  • Abdullah Al-Thawr joins us a Youth Ambassador from Sana'a, Yemen. He is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Leeds (UK) studying energy & environmental engineering with a full scholarship from TOTAL E&P in Yemen. He is the first prize winner of the World Bank co-organized International Essay Competition 2007, silver medal award winner of an online high school research competition implemented worldwide, and an active participant in youth events across the region and in Europe-Mediterranean. He was previously the Youth Programs Officer at the Democracy School in Sana'a. Read more about Abdullah's efforts to promote engagement with young people and youth participation in Yemen.
  • Samar Mezghanni joins us as a Youth Ambassador from Tunis, Tunisia. She was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest novelist in the world in 2000. She has a hundred stories published in more that two hundred Tunisian and Arab newspapers and magazines. She is a member of the Euro Mediterranean Youth Parliament, has participated in numerous youth summits, and is currently studying psychology at the High Institute of Human Sciences in Tunis. Learn more about Samar's Point of View, where she presents youth realities in Tunisia.
  • Waleed Sadek is our Youth Ambassador in Giza, Egypt, where he is a lecturer at the National Institute for Planning at the Ministry of Economic Development co-founder and board member of the Future Youth Club, a non-governmental organization that aims to empower Egyptian youth. He has spoken at many national and international conferences on youth policy and youth participation, including the First International Youth Forum in Sharm el-Sheikh in September 2007. In 2005, he was a United Nations Youth Ambassador in the 60th United Nations General Assembly. Learn more about Waleed's Point of View, where he presents youth realities in Egypt. 
  • Yasser Salimi joins us as a Youth Ambassador from Tehran, Iran, where he is a board member of the Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation (ICYF-DC), an institution affiliated with the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), and is a Master’s candidate in International Relations. Yasser has attended many conferences on cross-cultural understanding and youth forums. He received his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and has worked in the private sector and with PRESS TV, an international news network based in Iran. He has experience in volunteering and in the fields of corporate social responsibility and intercultural dialogue. Learn more about Yasser's Point of View, where he presents youth realities in Iran.
  • Naseem Tarawnah is our Youth Ambassador from Amman, Jordan. He is a co-founder of “7iber dot com,” a citizen media project to encourage citizen journalism in Jordan and grassroots level debate and discussion, especially among youth. He is also the Deputy Manager-in-Charge and a Senior Writer for “Jordan Business,” the Kingdom’s premiere corporate magazine. He has been a featured author on “Global Voices Online,” and has been engaged in an array of youth leadership and journalism initiatives. He is currently finishing a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Management at the University of London.
  • Radwan Wetti is our Youth Ambassador in Damascus, Syria, where he is a Business Experience Program Manager for the SHABAB Project at the Syria Trust for Development. He also previously served as Coordination Manager of the Syrian Young Entrepreneurs Association and assisted in organizing the first Syrian job fair and the First National Industrial Conference. He has managed programs and developed training modules in strategic planning, enterprise development, and marketing for a number of organizations. Learn more about Radwan's Point of View, where he presents youth realities in Syria.
  • Sarah Zaaimi joins us as a Youth Ambassador from Rabat, Morocco. In 2007, she received her M.A. in international studies and diplomacy from Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane. She has worked as a television, newspaper, and magazine journalist, and has participated in a number of projects aimed at youth inclusion, among them the first League of Arab States Youth Forum in 2007 and the Soliya Connect program for future global leaders. Learn more about Sarah's Point of View, where she presents youth realities in Morocco.

 *The opinions expressed in the "Point of View'" posts represent the views of the author and are not formally endorsed by the Middle East Youth Initiative.