In preparation for the Second Arab Knowledge Report 

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation and UNPD hold their first workshop in Egypt 

Dubai, 18 July 2010  – The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s Regional Bureau for Arab States have recently held a three day workshop in Cairo, Egypt in preparation for the second edition of the Arab Knowledge Report 2010/11 entitled Building Future Generations. The workshop is the first of a series of workshops, seminars and field studies that will be conducted in five Arab countries; the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Yemen. 

The Arab Knowledge Report 2010/11 builds on the first report issued last year and was entitled Towards Productive Intercommunication for Knowledge. The series of report are issued by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation in cooperation with the Regional Bureau for Arab States at UNDP. These reports help the Foundation achieve its goal of building knowledge-based societies in the Arab World. 

The first day of the workshop in Cairo was a brainstorming session to explore expert ideas on the subject of the report. Participants included the 15 member central team of the Report who come from the UAE, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan and Yemen in addition to 15 education specialist from Egypt. Dr. Ghaith Fariz, Director of the Arab Knowledge Report presented findings of the first Arab Knowledge Report.  

Meetings on the next two days discussed the case studies that will be included in the Report. Participants included Dr. Amna Khalifa from the UAE, Dr. Tayseer Al-Nuaimai from Jordan, Dr. Ahmed Ozzi from Morocco, Dr. Ahmed Hijji from Egypt and Mrs. Sabriyah Al Thowr from Yemen in addition to Dr. Najwa Algrees from Tunisia who designed the field research tools that are used to measure readiness of the younger generations for a knowledge society. 

Adel Al Shared, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation said: “The Foundation has been tasked by its leader, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to contribute to the dissemination of knowledge and the advancement of solutions to challenges facing sustainable development in the Arab societies.” 

“One of the main objectives of the Foundation is to help build knowledge-based societies in the Arab World. Analysing the status of knowledge in the Arab World will help the Foundation as well as other institutions attain the set goals. We appreciate our partnership with UNDP to produce the Arab Knowledge Reports which will help to analyse and identify opportunities and risks inherent in the acquisition, production, creation, and deployment of “knowledge”; a primary avenue for renaissance and human development,” Al Shared added.  

Dr. Ghaith Fariz, Director of the Arab Knowledge Report expressed his delight of the fruitful cooperation between UNDP and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation and said: “The Arab Knowledge Report 2010/11 is the second of its kind and builds upon the First Arab Knowledge Report titled Towards Productive Intercommunication for Knowledge. The first report shows that the human element is central to development.”  

“Arab states need to build the critical mass of human capital sufficiently equipped to participate in building the knowledge society. Chances are highest among children and young people. That’s why the current report focuses on the school age group,” Dr. Fariz added. 

The First Arab Knowledge report was released during the Arab Strategy Forum in 2009. The report can be downloaded from the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation’s website www.mbrfoundation.ae