JEDDAH, 5 March 2008 — Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel, president of Abdul Latif Jameel Co. (ALJ) and Abdul Latif Jameel Community Services Programs, will be honored at the opening ceremony of the annual Culture and Heritage Festival at Janadriya by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah today.
A great philanthropist and an amiable and easily accessible businessman, Jameel has developed a community program committed to further promoting job opportunities for thousands of young Saudi men and women each year.
The program created more than 22,000 jobs in the Saudi labor market by the end of 2007. From the beginning of 2008, it is making efforts to create an additional 24,000 jobs as part of Jameel’s contribution to the Saudization program.
ALJ’s contribution to the government’s Saudization program and the innovative development of employment opportunities promoted through the ALJ Community Services Programs are acknowledged as a first class example of what responsible companies can do in the region to serve their countries and communities.
Jameel has won laurels at home and abroad for his philanthropic activities. The Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) — the business-led development organization founded by Britain’s Prince Charles — elected him honorary deputy chairman of its board of trustees and chairman of IBLF Middle East in 2006.
As the head of the first Arab company to be represented on the IBLF board as its principal supporter, Jameel was invited to become a trustee of the London-based IBLF in 2004 by the Prince of Wales, IBLF president.
The honorary post of chairman, IBLF Middle East, is a new position reflecting the increased engagement of IBLF and its international corporate supporters and partners in education, youth employment and enterprise development initiatives in the region.
“IBLF is delighted and honored that Jameel, a valued member of our board of trustees, has agreed to be a deputy chairman, due to ALJ’s regional leadership in good corporate citizenship and employment development,” IBLF’s Chief Executive Robert Davies said commenting on Jameel’s election.
Jameel has also been supporting businesses and youth development programs in the Arab world in a new IBLF initiative to profile and spread good practices in business partnerships for Arab youth employment development.
The first Bab Riza (Gateway to Prosperity) Jameel Center, which specializes in creating employment opportunities for women, opened in June 2007 in Jeddah. The center is tasked with offering either financial support for those looking to take on start-up opportunities for small or micro projects and loans for vocational training or offering job vacancies in both the public and private sectors.
Jameel has been the driving force behind the Grameen Jameel Pan Arab Initiative, which aims to reduce poverty through micro credit. The First Arab Microfinance Virtual Academy, the First Arab Small Business Virtual Academy, the ALJ Arab Technology Start-Up Fund, ALJ Rehabilitation Hospital and Specialty Clinics in Jeddah, a program for orphans and another for interfaith dialogue are among other projects that Jameel has launched.
A keen supporter of the arts, Jameel’s Islamic Gallery project housed in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, was opened by the Prince of Wales in July 2006. The Jameel Gallery of Islamic Art is in memory of Jameel’s parents who founded the ALJ group.
