13 leaders from MENA join World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders Class of 2021

10X People

Mita Srinivasan
10X People
Published:

13 leaders from MENA join World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders Class of 2021

A total of 112 Young Global Leaders under the age of 40 are involved in activities ranging from advocating for public healthcare to campaigning for inclusivity in medical research, joining a group of Nobel Prize recipients, Pulitzer winners, heads of state and chief executive officers committed to improving the state of the world

The world’s most driven researchers, innovative entrepreneurs, activists and promising political leaders between the ages of 30 and 40 are joining the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders (YGL) Class of 2021. The class of 2021 is gender equal and has representatives from 56 countries including 13 from the Middle East and North Africa. Members will take part in a five-year programme, which offers executive education courses, expeditions and opportunities to collaborate and test ideas among a trusted network of peers.

YGLs are active in the most exciting and dynamic fields and focus on impact. In the past year they have worked on more than 30 COVID-19-related initiatives, including expanding the use of free public digital health services, launching data challenges to build an ecosystem that can help tackle the pandemic, creating mobile intensive care shelters, opening mental health support platforms and working on vaccine development.

“The YGL Class of 2021 is comprised of thoughtful and courageous leaders who will shape a more sustainable and inclusive post-pandemic era,” said Mariah Levin, Head of the Forum of Young Global Leaders.

“We are delighted to welcome the class of 2021 at a time when cultivating responsible leadership is needed more than ever to steer us through the multiple challenges the world is facing,” said Nicole Schwab, Board Member of the Forum of Young Global Leaders.

Meet the 2021 YGL Class from the MENA region:

Academia and Research

  • Dalal Saeb Iriqat, Vice-President for International Relations, Arab American University-Palestine, Palestinian Territories

Arts, Media and Sports

  • Faouzi Khlifi (known as El Seed), Artist and Founder, El Seed Studio, Tunisia

Business

  • Claudia Vergueiro Massei, Chief Executive Officer, Siemens Oman, Oman

  • Dana Juffali, Business Development Director, Khaled Juffali Energy and Utilities, Saudi Arabia

  • Mohamed Al Hashemi, Country Head, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Majid Al Futtaim Group, Majid Al Futtaim Retail, United Arab Emirates

Professional Services

  • Esraa Al-Buti, Partner, EY, Saudi Arabia

  • Sanae Lahlou, Director of the African Business Unit, Mazars Maroc, Morocco

Public Figures

  • Alanoud Bint Hamad Al-Thani, Managing Director, Qatar Financial Centre Authority, Qatar

  • Fawaz Farooqui, Senior Advisor to the Minister of Culture of Saudi Arabia

  • Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh, Member of the Knesset, Israel

  • Vera Daves de Sousa, Minister of Finance, Angola

Technology

  • Elham Al Qasim, Chief Executive Officer, Digital14, United Arab Emirates

  • Kira Radinsky, Co-Founder, Diagnostic Robotics, Israel

The Forum of Young Global Leaders was founded in 2005 by Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, to create a world where leaders take responsibility for a sustainable future, while meeting increasingly complex and interrelated challenges. Today, there are 1,400 members and alumni from more than 120 countries.