International Development Experts Meet in Riyadh to Approve AGFUND Prize Winning Project

Riyadh shall be witnessing a developmental event with the participation of international experts, as the Committee of AGFUND International Prize for the Pioneering Human Development Projects, shall hold its 13th Meeting under the Chairmanship of His Highness Prince Talal Bin Abdulaziz, the President of the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND). This meeting is scheduled be held on Wednesday, January 11,2012 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Riyadh and comes in order to approve the AGFUND Prize winning projects in the year, 2011 and the prize subjects for the year, 2012. The total number of projects nominated for the Prize in its four categories, reached 73 projects from 66 countries. The Prize subject that these projects competed about was: “Empowering Youth through Entrepreneurships and Job Opportunities”

• First Category: The role of international organizations in supporting the developing countries’ national policies and programs for empowering youth through entrepreneurships and job opportunities. (For projects implemented by UN, international or regional organizations)
• Second Category: NGOs-led efforts to empowering youth through entrepreneurships and job opportunities. (For projects implemented by national NGOs).
• Third Category: The governmental bodies’ efforts in adoption of pioneering entrepreneurships for empowering youth and increasing their job opportunities. ((For projects by government ministries and public institutions).
• Fourth Category: Individual-led efforts to empowering youth through entrepreneurships and job opportunities. (For projects initiated, sponsored and/or implemented by individuals).

The nominated projects, which met the conditions, were evaluated with high objectivity and transparency with qualified experts and in accordance with the criteria set in the Prize statute. The Prize Committee is composed a number of distinguished world personalities representing the world’s regions H. E. Dr. Ahmed Mohamed Ali, President of the Islamic Development Bank Group, Professor Mohamed Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh and Nobel Prize Peace Laureate, Signora. Minafra Mercedes de Battle, the former first lady of Uruguay and president of “All for Uruguay” Association, Baroness Emma Nicholson of Winterbourne MP, Member of the British Parliament, Founder and Chairman of the AMAR International Charitable Foundation, Dr. / Youssef Sayed Abdulla, Former Director General of the OPEC fund for International Development.