In a Nov. 16, 2012, speech, AMIDEAST President and CEO Theodore H. Kattouf underscored the vital role of education in ensuring a successful outcome of the revolutions in Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa. Addressing the joint annual benefit of the National Arab American Medical Association (NAAMA) and Egyptians Abroad in Development (EAD) in Chicago, he said, “A bright future for the region is one in which its many young men and women are able to improve their life circumstances and realize their dreams of political and social inclusion. The region must create many more jobs, but it must also prepare youth to have English language, IT, and critical thinking skills required in a 21st century global economy that is increasingly knowledge-based and high tech.”

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.

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.

Washington, DC, February 7, 2012 — AMIDEAST is pleased to announce the appointment of Samar Khleif as AMIDEAST’s new country director for Kuwait. She replaces Maureen Aldakheel, who is retiring after 14 years of dedicated service as country director for AMIDEAST/Kuwait.

 Washington, DC, Kuwait, UAE, Lebanon, Morocco, November 14, 2011—The American non-profit education organization AMIDEAST and the Citi Foundation—Citi's philanthropic arm—today announced the launch of the Arab Women's Entrepreneurship Project (AWEP) in four countries: Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco and the UAE.  This initiative, which will be launched in November, aims to provide 80 female entrepreneurs from underserved backgrounds with training that will help them start a new business or expand an existing one.

As part of the U.S.-Islamic World Forum, which met in Washington, DC, in mid April, Safwan Masri, Director of Columbia University’s Middle East Center in Amman, and Katherine Wilkens, AMIDEAST Vice President for Communications, co-chaired a Working Group on Higher Education in the Arab World. The group brought together a distinguished group of educators, specialists, and public sector officials from the United States and the Middle East to review the current state of higher education in the region and consider the key challenges facing reform today. Discussions over the three-day conference, which was held April 12–14, 2011, focused on three key challenges: Quality, Governance, and Educational Outcomes for Development.

Tourism workers acquire language and cross-cultural communication skills that will help them ultimately provide better customer satisfaction.

 Just as spring semester was starting for the 53 American undergraduates enrolled in AMIDEAST programs in Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, and Morocco, events intervened to give them a lesson in history that they’ll never forget. 

Kuwait (February 16, 2011) — In order to accommodate growing demand for its educational and training services in Kuwait, AMIDEAST has moved its office from Salmiya to a new facility located in the central business district of Sharq. 

Washington, DC, March 30, 2010 — AMIDEAST is pleased to announce the launch of a scholarship initiative that will enable more American college students to live and study in the Arab world. Beginning this summer, the new AMIDEAST Arab Heritage Fund Scholarship Program will provide a limited number of need-based scholarships for participants in AMIDEAST’s summer, semester, and academic-year study abroad programs in Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, and Morocco.