Young Arab Leaders to Host the First Annual Arab and American Action Forum in New York; Arab-led Initiative Aims to Bridge the Gap between Arabs & Americans; Speakers Include H.M. King Abdullah II of Jordan & Former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

NEW YORK -- The Young Arab Leaders (YAL), the primary development organization for business, public sector and civil society leaders in the Middle East, will host the first annual Arab and American Action Forum in New York, NY, on September 18-19, 2006.

Aimed at encouraging a dialogue and partnership that will foster a better relationship between Americans and the Arab world, the Forum will include more than 200 Arab and American leaders from business, media, government and the NGO community, along with representatives from the Clinton Global Initiative.

The keynote speakers for the inaugural event will include the honorable H.M. King Abdullah II of Jordan and former United States President Bill Clinton. Other key speakers include Klaus Schwab, Founder and CEO of the World Economic Forum; Mark Mallock Brown, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations; and Saeed Al-Muntafiq, Chairman of the Board of YAL and Chief Executive Officer of Tatweer, a member of Dubai Holding.

Launched in 2004 by the World Economic Forum, YAL is an independent pan-Arab organization which aims to create the necessary environment for future leaders to grow and develop in the region. It is a network of 500 of the region's leaders in the different sectors from the business community, politics, academia, media, arts, culture and all other areas of civil society, who are committed to improving the state of the Arab world.

"Leaders in the Arab world have a responsibility to take the first step in tackling the region's challenges, leading to the creation of an environment that will bring prosperity and stability to future generations," said Al-Muntafiq. "YAL aims to foster progressive dialogue that will bridge the communication gap between the Arab region and the rest of the world."

Participants will have the opportunity to engage in leadership action seminars that will focus on five key development areas: education, entrepreneurship, leadership development, youth networks, and dialogue exchange. Following the conclusion of each seminar, YAL will submit a list of formal initiatives to the Clinton Global Initiative that will serve as a working guideline for the coming year.

For more information about the Arab and American Action Forum please contact Nancy Goldstein at 212.614.4827 or [e-mail].

About YAL

YAL is a network of Arab men and women who have seen the power of action in their own lives, reached unprecedented levels of success for their age, are positive and can see beyond today's difficulties to that vision of a prosperous Arab future. These leaders are currently in prominent positions of responsibility and are destined for extraordinary achievement, and they believe that their efforts today can have an impact on their communities, countries and the region as a whole. For more information please visit: www.yaleaders.org.

About the Clinton Global Initiative

The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) is a non-partisan catalyst for action, bringing together a community of global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges.