Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Foundation and Emirates Foundation Sign MoU to Build Capacity for Arab Youth
ABU DHABI – April 14, 2016 - Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Foundation and Emirates Foundation, an independent philanthropic organization set up by the Abu Dhabi Government to facilitate public-private partnerships for empowering youth across the UAE, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to build capacity and knowledge among Arab youth.
Through this cooperation, both entities aim at building a generation of youth capable of supporting and developing the economies of their countries.
According to the MoU, both parties will collaborate on joint initiatives through which they can provide training courses, seminars and work –related opportunities to youth across the Arab region. Both Foundations will exchange knowledge and expertise to establish a 5 year portal for Arab youth, encouraging creativity, innovation and leadership. Both Foundations are members of the Arab Foundations Forum, a not-for-profit association of philanthropic foundations in the Arab region that engages with all aspects of society towards growing social responsibility and investment, while advancing public good. Both Foundations plan to utilize this platform to address sustainable development challenges and obstacles related to youth by taking collaborative action and implementing regional strategic plans.
HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, chairman of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Foundation said: "TAG Foundation and Emirates Foundation share comprehensive goals when it comes to developing the skills and capacity building of youth and we are proud to be part of their work and effort. We have been working with youth in the Arab region for years and we have seen thousands benefit from our programs."
Echoing his sentiment, Clare Woodcraft, the CEO of Emirates Foundation said “We see natural synergies between both our organizations notably around youth capacity building and development. We look forward to working with Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Foundation as this new agreement will provide us an invaluable platform for scaling up our activities.”
TAG Foundation
Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Foundation was established as a non-profit organization for promoting sustainable development emphasizing social and economic development initiatives with the aim of enhancing capabilities of individuals, groups, institution and societies worldwide. The Foundation is run by a Board of Trustees and a Board of Directors.
About Emirates Foundation
Emirates Foundation was launched in April 2005 as an initiative of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. It is chaired by HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
In 2012, the Emirates Foundation was re-launched under the name “Emirates Foundation for Youth Development” as an integrated national initiative that seeks to invest in UAE youth. The new strategy uses the model venture philanthropy with a view to impacting the lives of young people in the UAE positively and permanently. To achieve this, the Foundation will work in three key focus areas: social inclusion; community engagement; and leadership and empowerment. It will seek to identify, educate and inform the public about challenges facing UAE youth while developing sustainable, enterprise-based solutions to social issues and motivating young Emiratis to volunteer, participate and give back to society.
Emirates Foundation works to enhance partnerships between private and public sectors, in order to develop sustainable ways of helping young people in the UAE make an active contribution to the country’s development. EF is funded through contributions from the Abu Dhabi government and private sector companies.