The 200 YGLs (LINK) come from 71 countries and all sectors of society in academia, arts and culture, business, civil society, media, politics and social entrepreneurship.
Other leaders include Tawakkol Karman (Yemen), journalist and Nobel Peace Prize winner; Hisham El Khazindar (Egypt), co-founder of Citadel Capital, a private equity firm that has raised and invested more than US$ 4.9 billion; Aisha Al Khater (Qatar), director of Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art, one of the world’s most encyclopaedic collections of Islamic artefacts; Tal Nazer (Saudi Arabia), Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, BUPA Arabia, Saudi Arabia; Mary Nazzal (Jordan), founder of Landmark Hotels and Ahmad Al Shugairi (Saudi Arabia), Islamic preacher and television host whose programme Khawater reaches youth across the Middle East and North Africa
Drawn from a pool of several thousand candidates, the 2013 YGLs were chosen by a committee, chaired by Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The selection was based on the proven track record of the individual, his or her leadership experience, ability to overcome diversity and commitment to society.
Becoming part of the YGL community is described by its members as being a transformational experience. YGLs join as individuals, who are successful in their own field of expertise, but become part of a broader collective community that works to tackle a range of world issues.
“The Forum of Young Global Leaders provides a unique effort to engage the younger generation into the management of global affairs, working together and being integrated into the larger Forum community. The Young Global Leaders have an exceptional opportunity to improve the state of the world,” Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum, said.
The 2013 honourees will become part of the broader Forum of Young Global Leaders community that is currently composed of 756 outstanding individuals. The YGLs convene at an annual summit, which will be held this year in Yangon, Myanmar, on 2-5 June. The programme will include meetings with Myanmar government representatives, the business community and civil society; first-hand experience of working with, and learning from, local organizations and communities; along with workshops and cross-mentorship initiatives.