Muscat, April 7, 2013. His Highness Sayyid Taimur bin Assad Al Said officially opened the new premises of AMIDEAST today at a ceremony that featured remarks by U.S. Ambassador Greta C. Holtz and a letter from AMIDEAST’s President and CEO, Ambassador Theodore H. Kattouf, read by an AMIDEAST headquarters representative. Officials from various Ministries, private sector companies and educational institutions participated in the event and then toured the new facilities at Airport Heights, which include four floors of classrooms, computer labs, testing facilities, conference and meeting rooms, a library for educational advising, a student lounge, and staff offices.  

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.”

AMIDEAST’s staff in Muscat were excited to begin 2013 by moving into a large, modern facility in the city’s Airport Heights/Ghala section. The new headquarters for AMIDEAST’s operations in Oman, which opened in January 2013, features an EducationUSA library, a Cisco Entrepreneur Institute, a variety of classrooms and meeting spaces, a student lounge, and two computer labs, including one certified by U.S. testing company ETS for administration of the Internet-based TOEFL® exam.  It also offers ample space for visitor parking.

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.

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.

Muscat, May 15, 2012 – AMIDEAST President and CEO Theodore H. Kattouf marked the five-year anniversary of AMIDEAST’s presence in Oman with a visit to Muscat, beginning May 11, 2012. During his four-day stay, he met with officials of Oman’s Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education and signed the renewal of the American education organization’s Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Education. He also participated in a variety of meetings focused on AMIDEAST’s workforce development and entrepreneurship training programs.

New partnerships are enabling AMIDEAST to expand entrepreneurship training in Oman, one of several countries where AMIDEAST has established Cisco Entrepreneur Institutes to support the region’s drive to develop its entrepreneurial potential, create jobs, and promote sustainable economic growth.

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.