In a little over a year, the Arab Women's Entrepreneurship Project (AWEP) — an AMIDEAST partnership with Citi Foundation to expand opportunities for entrepreneurship training for women in the Arab world — completed a first round of training and recently launched a second one. In all, nearly 150 women from six countries — Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, the UAE, Egypt and Jordan — are participating in these initial efforts, which are being implemented with generous support from Citi Foundation.

The effects of gender inequality are pronounced among the poor who live in marginalized communities of Cairo — some not far from AMIDEAST's offices in the center of the city. Young women in these neighborhoods find it difficult to overcome longstanding social and economic barriers in order to benefit from the access to education, jobs, and other resources that large cities typically offer.

Responding to renewed interest in the future of Tunisia's higher education system following the country's revolution, AMIDEAST was pleased to cohost a symposium on the future of Tunisian-U.S. institutional cooperation in higher education. Held in Tunis on Nov. 7-8, 2012, the two-day event also explored core issues of higher education reform.

By Cathy Mentzer

Wilson College holds the distinction of being one of only eight women’s colleges in the United States to enroll students as part of the NeXXt Scholars Initiative in its inaugural year. Ghada Tafesh, of the city of Gaza in the Palestinian Territories, is one of 12 international students to participate in the program, which encourages young women from countries with predominantly Muslim populations to obtain a world-class STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) undergraduate education at one of 38 U.S. women’s colleges.

On January 13, 2013, AMIDEAST/Oman opened its doors in a new facility located in the Airports Heights/Ghala section of Muscat. The large, modern facility will better enable AMIDEAST to serve the country's growing need for a broad range of educational and training services.

The new purpose-built space features an EducationUSA library, Cisco Entrepreneur Institute facilities, a variety of classrooms and meeting spaces, two computer labs including one certified by U.S. testing company Educational Testing Services for administration of the Internet-based TOEFL exam, and a student lounge.

Muscat, December 16, 2012 —AMIDEAST announced today that it plans to move its headquarters in Oman to a new location in January 2013.   Located in the Airports Heights/Ghala section of Muscat, the new purpose-built space will include an EducationUSA library, a variety of classrooms and meeting spaces, two computer labs including one certified by Educational Testing Services in the U.S. for administration of the Internet-based TOEFL, a student lounge, and a large parking lot designated for AMIDEAST visitors.

Washington, DC/Beirut, Lebanon, November 5, 2012—Led by Chairman Dr. Paul F. Boulos, President and COO of Innovyze Corporation, the AMIDEAST/Lebanon Advisory Board pledged $250,000 in new annual support for scholarships, entrepreneurship training, and workforce development initiatives in Lebanon during its recent meeting in Beirut. The two-year-old board also welcomed several new members, bringing its membership of prominent Lebanese business and civic leaders to 23.

واشنطن، دي سي/ - 8 أكتوبر 2012: أعلنت منظمة أمديست التعليمية عن تدشين المرحلة الثانية من برنامج المرأة العربية في تنظيم المشاريع في كل من جمهورية مصر العربية، ولبنان، والمغرب، والأردن بالتعاون مع مؤسسة سيتي الخيرية.

وسيوفر البرنامج، والذي بدأ في عام 2011، التدريب اللازم لِ 80 امرأة من ذوات الدخل المحدود ليبدأن بمشاريعهن الجديدة أو توسيع مشاريعهن الحالية بمعدل 20 امرأة في كل بلدٍ من البلدان الأربعة. وقد نظمت أميد إيست العام الفائت دورة تدريبية في المرحلة الأولى من البرنامج في لبنان والإمارات العربية المتحدة والكويت والمغرب. وامتدت الدورة على مدى ثلاثة أسابيع بهدف زيادة الوعي وتعليم المهارات الأساسية في إدارة الأعمال لهؤلاء النساء كوضع خطة عمل، وكيفية الحصول على قرض، والمحاسبة الأساسية والعامة. واتبع هذه الدورة فترة اشراف قمن خلالها النساء بتطبيق ما تعلمنه على مواجهة التحديات والعقبات التي قد يواجهنها هؤلاء النساء.

AMIDEAST strongly condemns the offensive film that has inflamed passions across the Middle East and abhors, as do the vast majority of Americans, the hateful intentions behind it. Such actions must not be allowed to undermine the bonds of friendship that exist between Americans and the peoples of the Middle East. AMIDEAST likewise strongly condemns the senseless violence that caused the deaths this week of four American diplomats in Libya, who were there to assist the Libyan people rebuild their country. Peaceful demonstrations are a right, but there is no justification for violence.

AMIDEAST mourns the loss of Dr. Fahim Qubain, who passed away in April at the age of 88. Qubain will be long remembered as the founder of the Hope Fund, an organization that in one decade has made a made a life-changing difference for nearly 70 young Palestinian men and women from refugee camps in Lebanon, Jordan, the West Bank and Gaza.