Mentor Arabia Event Brings HM Queen Silvia Of Sweden To Lebanon For The First Time

2 October 2019 | Beirut, Lebanon: Her Majesty the Queen Silvia of Sweden is set to visit Lebanon for the very first time later on this month, Mentor Arabia Foundation has announced.

2 October 2019 | Blog

Mentor Arabia press conference with Mentor Arabia's Managing Director, Thuraya Ismail (center), and partners Zain Group and MBC Al Amal.

During a press briefing held on October 1st at the Four Seasons Hotel Beirut, the Foundation also unveiled details of Her Majesty’s extensive programme during her visit. HMQ Silvia is the President of Mentor International.

Established in 2006 with its regional head office in Beirut, Lebanon, Mentor Arabia Foundation is a non-governmental organisation that is part of Mentor International, founded in 1994 and represented in multiple countries across three continents.

At the forefront of Mentor Arabia Foundation is a reputable board of trustees, chaired by Prince Turki Bin Talal Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, as well as a number of distinguished representatives from regional and international organisations; in addition to leading public figures, youth, specialists and scientists in related fields.

Furthermore, the press conference announced that Zain Group and MBC Group’s CSR arm, MBC Al Amal have been appointed as strategic partners to support Mentor Arabia’s mission to empower vulnerable Arab children and youth, and protect them from irreversible harm through beneficial policies, capacity development, advocacy, awareness campaigns, knowledge and partnerships.

Mentor Arabia will work with Zain Group and MBC Al Amal on various programmes and initiatives to support the work of Arab youth, who in turn could inspire their peers on ways to serve their communities.

More information on these initiatives will be shared during an event attended by HMQ Silvia of Sweden – any other notable public, diplomatic, corporate, media, academic and social figures – in mid-October. The confirmed date is to be shared in due course.

One event taking place during HMQ Silvia’s visit will be the official launch of ‘The Youth Mentoring Platform’, a special joint initiative by Mentor Arabia and the American University in Beirut (AUB). The platform aims to create a “space for dialogue” for youth to express their views around the challenges they face, as well as explore possible opportunities, solutions, and enabling factors to maximise their potential.

During the press conference, Lebanon Minister of Social Affairs, Dr. Richard Kouyoumjian commented,”Governments around the world should support the work of NGOs that empower young people and strengthen their capacities to protect them from dangerous behaviors, while at the same time developing their communities.”

On her part, Thuraya Ismail, Executive Director of Mentor Arabia stressed the organisation’s mission, stating, “The core of everything we do is to make a difference in young people’s lives and so far, we have been able to make significant progress in this area. It is of course thanks to the support of outstanding people and organisations.”

Waleed Al Khashti, Zain Kuwait Chief Communications Officer commented, “As a leading telecommunications operator across the region, Zain feels a deep sense of responsibility to play a role in guiding and inspiring our youth to make good decisions in reaching their potential. We are also passionate about their protection from harm in the physical sense as well as in cyberspace.”

Rounding up the representatives, Mazen Hayek, Spokesperson of MBC Group, said, “We have every confidence that our new relationship with Mentor Arabia will further build on our efforts to positively impact the lives of thousands of young people across the region.”

Finally, renowned Egyptian singer Abu, who is a member of Mentor Arabia friends’ committee, emphasised the role art can play in improving lives of at-risk youth. “The role of art in raising more awareness about the dangers of having youth vulnerable to risky behaviours is vast, and we can increase public interest through organisations such as Mentor Arabia thanks to its positive impact on society in all its categories”.

ABOUT ZAIN GROUP

Zain is a leading telecommunications operator across the Middle East and Africa providing mobile voice and data services to over 49 million active customers as of 30 June 2019. With a commercial presence in 8 countries, Zain operates in: Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and South Sudan. In Lebanon, the Group manages ‘touch’ on behalf of the government. In Morocco, Zain has a 15.5% stake in ‘INWI’, through a joint venture. Zain is listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (stock ticker: ZAIN). We recommend the Investor Community download the “Zain Group Investor Relations” Mobile App. For more information, please email [email protected]  or visit Zain’s website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin or Youtube channel.

ABOUT MBC AL AMAL

Launched in 2013, MBC Group’s CSR arm, MBC AL AMAL, focuses on the empowerment and development of youth, for our future and theirs. Their core strategy is about developing and implementing programs and initiatives on ground and through MBC channels and platforms; supporting youth empowerment, work readiness and capacity building, social entrepreneurship, education, child protection, and humanitarian causes.

ABOUT MENTOR ARABIA

Mentor Arabia is a regional non-governmental organization which advocates for youth empowerment to prevent risky behaviour among children and youth. For more please visit Mentor Arabia’s website, Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram feed.

MEDIA CONTACT

Bechara Ghaoui
Head of Communication and Fundraising
+961 1 340467/8/9 ext 108, +961 3 236067
[email protected]