First Meeting of Advisory Board for Arab Knowledge Report held in Dubai

Dubai-UAE: 3 February, 2008 – The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today held the first meeting of the Advisory Board for the Arab Knowledge Report, a major analytical report geared towards the analysis and promotion of knowledge in the Arab world.

The meeting in Dubai was chaired by Dr. Rima Khalaf Hunaidi, CEO of The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation. It brought together over 20 distinguished Arab intellectuals and leaders to discuss the strategic and humanitarian imperatives of promoting knowledge in the Arab world.

The meeting featured a presentation by Dr. Adel Abdellatif, head of regional programmes section at UNDP’s regional office for Arab countries, who discussed the importance and background of knowledge for human development in the Arab region; as well as Dr. Abdulkhaleq Abdullah, professor of political science at Emirates University and lead author for the Arab Knowledge Report, who proposed a structure and scope for the Report.

Dr. Hunaidi moderated the discussion following each presentation, drawing on participants’ observations to further define the conceptual framework of the Report. The meeting will be followed by a final discussion of the strategic recommendations and next steps in the process.

Dr. Hunaidi said: "The meeting marked the launch of the Arab Knowledge Report. Findings of the report will provide a clear roadmap for necessary action in the pursuit of developing knowledge capabilities in the Arab world. The report will be developed along scientific standards and will serve as an important reference to ensure synergy of Arab efforts.”   

The Arab Knowledge Report is the result of a partnership between the Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum Foundation and UNDP The Report will build on the foundation set by UNDP’s Arab Human Development Report 2003: Building a Knowledge Society, part of the award-winning AHDR series that has in four editions since 2002 outlined the most important development challenges facing the Arab world. Written by a group of distinguished Arab scholars and opinion leaders, the 2003 report emphasized the need for Arab countries to close a growing knowledge gap by investing heavily in education and promoting open intellectual inquiry.

The Arab Knowledge Report will expand on that analysis, presenting new data and agenda-setting studies on recent and long-standing trends, deepening the inquiry into the state of education and the development of a knowledge society in the Arab world.

Since its inception in 2002, the Arab Human Development Report process has counted on the strong support and guidance of distinguished Advisory Boards. Comprising a representative and multi-disciplinary grouping of experts from throughout the region, the Advisory Board for each Report is charged with following and contributing to the process to ensure that the analysis is relevant, rigorous, and representative of the challenges and opportunities facing the diversity of Arab countries.

In addition to this first meeting, the Advisory Board for the Arab Knowledge Report will convene three more times throughout the year-long production process to review drafts of the Report.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation’s partnership with UNDP is part of its broader effort to open doors for future generations of Arab leaders to shape their own futures through the acquisition of world-class knowledge and education. The Report will strengthen the Foundation’s range of initiatives by advocating for more supportive policies and institutions throughout the region.

Launched in 2007 with a US $10 billion endowment, the Foundation supports a wide range of initiatives to boost the knowledge capital of the region, from funding research institutions and youth leadership programmes to providing scholarships and research grants.

The agreement marks the first partnership between UNDP and a private foundation in the region, and is a major step forward for UNDP’s initiative to work with all sectors of the Arab society, including governments, the private sector, civil society and foundations.

The collaboration on the Arab Knowledge Report establishes UNDP’s long term commitment with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation to work together for human development in the region.