DUBAI – The time bomb of unemployment in the Arab World has exploded causing the Arab Spring. If nothing is done to address this critical issue, it will worsen and shake the very foundations of society, warned a top Saudi businessman and philanthropist Mohammed Jameel. He said that unemployment must not be treated simply as a socio-economic problem. “It is an opportunity in which business can play its part. And the success we have will underpin the future development and prosperity of nations and corporations across the Middle East,” he added. Jameel known for his philanthropic works, launched Bab Rizq Jameel (BRJ) – meaning “beautiful gateway to prosperity” in Arabic – to generate employment opportunities for the people. In recognition of its positive contribution, BRJ was honored Wednesday at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in Dubai. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, presented the “Best Initiative to Support Entrepreneurship in the Arab World Award” to Jameel. Described as a business with social purpose, BRJ's main activities focus on identifying job opportunities and providing relevant skills and training to individual job seekers, in addition to granting microfinance loans to establish new entrepreneurial businesses. Since its establishment, it has expanded across the region through an extensive branch network, successfully helping to create over 320,000 jobs across the region – 100,000 of them in this year alone. Today, there is a team of more than 700 full-time job creators, working from more than 36 BRJ branches in the Arab world and Turkey. The ultimate aim is to help create 500,000 jobs annually in the Arab countries and Turkey, through a team of 2,000 job creators distributed among 200 branches in those countries. At the awards ceremony Jameel said: “BRJ is one simple, grassroots solution to the problem of unemployment that has, from small beginnings, begun to make a significant difference to the lives of thousands across the region. Ultimately, it is creating a business model that empowers people, giving them control over their lives and a stake in their future.” “This recognition is an honor and a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved with BRJ, and I am delighted to accept it on their behalf. I hope in time we will see competitors emerge in the business of job creation. More competitors mean more jobs and the region needs more employment opportunities as populations continue to grow.” He invited business leaders across the region to see how BRJ works and how its sales team makes the business of unemployment financially sustainable and profitable as well as socially responsible. “As business leaders, we have a duty to seize the moment, for ourselves and for our society. But we need to act decisively if the coming population bulge is to be turned into an opportunity for greater prosperity.”
