Crown Prince Foundation and Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation Forge Partnership to Boost Youth Employment in Jordan

CPF, UAE's AGF launch strategic partnership to empower Jordanian youth
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The Crown Prince Foundation (CPF) and the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation (AGF) announced a new strategic partnership on Sunday to expand upskilling and employment opportunities for young people across Jordan. This significant collaboration aims to address the persistent skills gap and high youth unemployment prevalent in the country, leveraging the strengths of both prominent organizations to foster economic growth and individual empowerment.

The partnership was formalized during a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony held in Amman, Jordan. This event marked a key step in establishing a joint initiative that sets out to create an integrated platform. This platform is specifically designed to bridge the existing disparity between educational outcomes and the evolving demands of the labor market. Through this concerted effort, the collaboration focuses on significantly enhancing the capabilities of young individuals and effectively connecting them with relevant job prospects throughout Jordan, thereby creating a more strong and responsive workforce.

Nomu Initiative Details

The strategic partnership between the Crown Prince Foundation and the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation will be implemented primarily through the AGF's Nomu initiative. This initiative is not merely a local program but functions as a full regional upskilling and employment model. Its core purpose is to equip young individuals with high-demand skills that are specifically tailored to meet Jordan's future economic needs, ensuring relevance and impact in a rapidly changing global landscape. The Nomu initiative is structured around five integrated pathways, each designed to contribute to its overarching objectives and provide a holistic development experience for participants. These pathways include the acquisition of essential digital skills, strong technical and vocational training, development in emerging green industries, full career guidance to navigate the job market, and fostering a spirit of entrepreneurship among participants to encourage job creation and self-reliance.

The program specifically targets Jordanian and Arab youth, aiming to serve individuals between the ages of 18 and 35. This focused demographic approach ensures that the initiative addresses a key segment within the labor market that often faces significant challenges in securing meaningful employment. The program expects to benefit more than 5,600 young men and women across the kingdom, providing them with enhanced opportunities for both employment and critical skill development. The selection of these pathways shows a commitment to preparing youth for sectors identified as key for Jordan's sustainable economic development. By focusing on these areas, the initiative seeks to create a direct pipeline between education and employment, reducing the time and resources often lost in the transition from learning to earning.

Strategic Rationale and Alignment

The partnership strategically combines the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation's extensive regional expertise in effectively linking education with tangible employment opportunities with the Crown Prince Foundation's impressive nationwide reach and established leadership in youth empowerment initiatives. This synergy is designed to maximize impact and ensure the efficient delivery of the program's objectives. In this collaborative framework, the Crown Prince Foundation will serve as a key ecosystem enabler for the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation's national strategy within Jordan, providing invaluable local insights and operational support. This role is key for adapting the Nomu initiative to the specific socio-economic context of Jordan and ensuring its long-term sustainability and effectiveness.

The initiative supports the broader national objectives outlined in Jordan 2025 vision, a full national blueprint for economic and social development, and the more recent Economic Modernization Vision (2022–2033), which prioritizes innovation and sustainable growth. The program aligns directly with the priorities of HRH Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, specifically concerning youth empowerment, fostering innovation, and promoting inclusive economic growth across the kingdom. These priorities are central to the Crown Prince's vision for Jordan's future. The Crown Prince Foundation itself was established in 2015 under the directives of HRH Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, showing its foundational commitment to these areas and its direct alignment with the national leadership's goals. This deep alignment ensures that the partnership's efforts are integrated into the broader national development agenda, maximizing their potential for systemic change and long-term benefit for Jordanian youth. The Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation is recognized as the largest privately funded Emirati philanthropic organization operating in the Arab region, bringing significant resources and a proven track record to the partnership.

Foundations' Reach and Impact

The Crown Prince Foundation (CPF) currently operates across 26 distinct locations throughout Jordan, managing 14 diverse programs that have collectively reached more than 2.2 million young people throughout the kingdom. This extensive network and reach demonstrate CPF's deep understanding of local needs and its capacity to implement large-scale initiatives effectively. The Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation (AGF) has actively supported regional youth through a variety of education and readiness initiatives since its inception in 2015. Through its own strong programs and the critical support provided by the Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund, the foundation has provided more than 55,500 educational opportunities within Jordan alone. This remarkable figure notes AGF's commitment to fostering educational access and skill development, particularly for vulnerable populations. The combined expertise and operational capabilities of both foundations are expected to create a powerful engine for change, driving significant improvements in youth employment and skill development across Jordan.