The Young Future Energy Leaders Program of the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology participated in the 3rd Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Leadership Conference: Developing Energy Leaders, which took place in Manama, Bahrain, on 15-16 April.
YFEL, as one of the UAE’s leading outreach initiatives aimed at developing the country’s young energy professionals, contributed in a special panel at the conference titled ‘UAE Model of Future Energy Leadership.’
The 3rd GCC Leadership Conference attracted over 200 participants from the Gulf energy sector. The conference is held annually to bring together energy sector leaders from the Gulf region to identify the current leadership gaps in this field and to promote collaboration to develop a new generation of leaders. This year, the conference highlighted energy sector manpower statistics and discuss the job needs of the sector going forward. It also reviewed best practices and training and discussed leadership issues and topics such as innovation and performance.
Part of the Masdar Institute’s Outreach program, YFEL offers young professionals and students from the UAE and abroad an opportunity to become more engaged in finding solutions to the world’s biggest challenges – achieving energy efficiency and tackling climate change. It also aims to bring young professionals closer to government representatives, business leaders and other organizations active in the area of alternative energy and sustainability.
“One of the key objectives of YFEL 2015 is to increase its engagement regionally by partnering with Gulf initiatives, activities and elite conferences. The GCC Leadership Conference is a regional event that has a very similar rationale to our own program, with its focus on energy sector leadership, and as such, offered a great opportunity for exchange of ideas and wider outreach,” said Zainab Abdul Rahim Al Ali, Program Manager, YFEL.
YFEL was approached to participate in the GCC Leadership Conference following meetings at the sidelines of the World Future Energy Summit, which was hosted in Abu Dhabi in January.
“The representatives from Bahrain were amazed by the YFEL program so they invited us to to their conference to highlight our program, its vision, mission, strategies and methodologies, to engage youth and empower them to become future leaders,” Al Ali added.
A total of 13 international, regional and local expert speakers presented their knowledge and experience in the fields of leadership and energy at the event. The conference also featured an intensive training workshop on how to develop the next generation of leaders in a given industry.
The conference was held under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Abdul Hussain Bin Ali Mirza, Minister of Energy in Bahrain and was organized by Expressions Marketing Communications in collaboration with the Bahrain National Oil and Gas Authority and the Electricity and Water Authority. The conference strategic partners included the Arab Renewable Energy Commission, the Federation of GCC Chambers and Tamkeen. The conference was also supported by Bahrain Development Bank, Youth Pioneers Association, Ibtikar Society and the Businesswomen Society.