At the age of 32, Rami Fouad Makhzoumi is president and CEO of the Dubai-based Future Pipe Industries, one of the largest private fiberglass pipe manufacturing groups in the world, and a member of the board of directors of Young Arab Leaders (YAL). Makhzoumi joined YAL in 2005. Driven by a strong faith in the organization’s mission, he has played a significant role in the leadership and growth of YAL.
E What originally brought you to YAL?
The belief in working for a better future for the youth of our region inspired me to join the organization. The youth of our region have the right to have a quality education and also need to be encouraged to be independent and utilize the education they acquire to establish enterprises to sustain themselves.
E What is your role on the board of directors and what is the purpose of the board?
As part of the Board at YAL, in keeping with international best practices, our role, among other things, is to ensure that the organization is progressing within its defined vision, and mandate. We meet regularly to monitor and evaluate the key non-financial and financial areas of relevance to YAL and the organization’s progress towards its goals including introducing key performance indicators as appropriate. We provide direction and advise on the initiation and implementation of programs. We approve policies and procedures by which YAL is operated, and monitor compliance and ensure YAL has in place effective communication processes with its members and other key stakeholders.
E What have you brought to YAL from your experience as a professional and an executive in the Arab world?
I believe that through business, we indeed can serve and contribute to the society and economy in which we operate through various channels and at different levels and scales. You achieve national goals at a local level. You can become a major employer in any given region, thus creating the ability to multiply your effect through the sheer numbers under your flag. I have always said that the greatest asset we have is our people. Empowering the people, allowing them to grow, benefits not only your immediate business but also the society in which it functions.
E What are the issues confronting Arab youth today?
More than 65 percent of our population is under 24 years old, with the fastest growing workforce of any region in the world. Empowering these youth with the right education and skills to help in the creation of employment — self or otherwise — is the biggest challenge we face in our region. We can either be a great and noble thought in history, or a potent force in the region. To empower our youth we need to educate and truly begin to instill the values of the entrepreneurial spirit, and see a new age be born. [Otherwise], we will see further unemployment, greater gaps and disparity in wealth and education, and ultimately, an increasing opportunity for radicalism to be nurtured.
E How have you been working to help YAL to have the biggest impact on the region?
YAL is a pan-Arab organization and this strong regional presence is our biggest asset as we look at reaching out to and benefiting the youth of our larger Arab region. Since our inception five years ago, we have been consolidating our network with members that are leaders from different Arab countries, and who share the common goal of creating a better future for our region and our people by passing on the right knowledge and experience and imparting the right education. We have been identifying our programs and initiatives with the YAL mission in mind that we need to benefit as many youth as we can, who will in turn benefit our society and the world community. Our aim is create a positive ripple effect from our programs to create a positive world view.
Many young Arab leaders like myself have been educated and brought up in the West and hold dear the founding principles of YAL, from which we can demonstrate not just to the region but to the world, the significance of the Arab world. Not just in its contributions historically to modern civilization, but its potential in realizing its deserved position as a substantial contributor to tomorrow’s world.
E What particular YAL programs are you involved in?
As a member and part of the YAL board, I consider it my responsibility to involve myself in key programs of the organization in a different capacity for different programs. From offering key internship positions in the Future Pipe Industries group to being in the task force for the creation of YAL’s Entrepreneurship Initiative, I have attempted to be a part of the key focus areas of YAL.
I believe it is vital to pool the next generation of leaders for the benefit of our region. YAL can act as the cornerstone of prosperity for those within, and as the hope and model for those outside.
E What role does YAL have to play in the future? What would you like to see the organization undertake in terms of programs or activities?
As the youth are the leaders of the future, they are the greatest asset of the Arab world. We are committed to ensure that the programs YAL develops will harness the potential of Arab youth, and leverage their contribution to the growth and development in the Arab World. Arab civilization in the past is an inspiration for me and others at YAL, and I believe that the potential is there for a second Arab renaissance and that Arab countries should seize the current opportunities to lay down the infrastructure of a second Arab golden age.
The role of our organization is more significant now as the world is experiencing a transition period and leading global economies are shifting their focus inwards. Individuals, organizations, countries and regions worldwide are rethinking their strategies and focus on sustainability mechanisms for strengthening corporate and national capacities to create a more resilient world for our next generation.
It is important for us as YAL to drive a united vision to empower our youth and offer them the know-how and tools to surge ahead with decisive solutions that complement our leaders’ efforts and aspirations. During times when global economies face unprecedented challenges, the responsibilities of organizations such as ours increase manifold — we have to take on the mantle of being the agents of change that will holistically contribute to the sustainable development of the Arab region.
