By: Hisham Jabi, Founder & CEO With 60% of the Arab region’s population under 25, totaling nearly 270 million individuals, the youth face significant challenges despite their demographic advantage. The region grapples with a staggering youth unemployment rate of 26%, the highest globally, alongside a disconnect between education and employment…

By: Hisham Jabi, Founder & CEO This morning, I took the metro to a meeting on Capitol Hill. I often choose the metro over driving—it gives me time to read, listen to music, and observe the quiet choreography of life in Washington, DC. As the train moved through the city,…

The Jabi Consulting team is excited to share the second edition of the Jabi Consulting MENA Monthly Pulse – a monthly newsletter aimed at providing policymakers, practitioners and leaders with the latest political and economic trends from the MENA region. If you are interested in receiving this publication directly to…

By: Hisham Jabi, Founder & CEO Over the past 20 years, I have worked closely with Arab youth across the MENA region, engaging in dialogue, training, and fieldwork in both stable and fragile contexts. Since the war in Gaza, I have conducted more than 189 meetings and discussions across MENA…

The Jabi Consulting team is proud to share the inaugural edition of the Jabi Consulting MENA Monthly Pulse – a monthly newsletter aimed at connecting the development community with the most critical news updates and innovations from the MENA region. In this inaugural edition, we highlight the news of the ceasefire…

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made its way into the mainstream zeitgeist by creating new channels for humans to interact with technology. It is rapidly evolving and significantly impacting daily lives and various sectors, including international development. AI today influences international development by offering a cost-effective way to discover innovative solutions…

The recent PBS NewsHour report on the ineffectiveness of foreign aid struck a chord with me, particularly the statement that “implementer companies rarely work with the communities targeted for help or with local aid groups.” As someone who has navigated the development sector as a USAID scholarship recipient, a former…

The first significant test for Syria’s new leadership in Damascus lies in their approach to education reform, starting with revising the national curriculum. This decision holds the potential to rescue several lost generations and chart a course for the future of a fractured yet resilient nation. Having worked extensively across…

As we bid farewell to 2024 and prepare to welcome 2025, I reflect on a moment from my youth in Nablus—a dinner shattered by the sounds of gunfire and fear brought by the Israeli army. That evening, Rafi, our Israeli guest, witnessed the daily realities of life under occupation: systematic…

While reviewing the recently updated USAID ADS 201, Program Cycle Operational Policy (Partial Revision Date: 10/23/2024), I was struck by its emphasis on “learning”—a term mentioned 155 times. This focus resonates deeply with my personal experiences over two decades of working with USAID projects and local partners across the Middle…