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President Bill Clinton with UAE Rhodes Scholars. Image Courtesy: Christopher Pike/christopherpike.com
- The event marks the 10th anniversary of the Rhodes Scholarship for the UAE.
- The event featured a group of UAE Rhodes Scholars and representatives from the Clinton Global Initiative, Rhodes Trust, and the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation.
Abu Dhabi, UAE – Ideas Abu Dhabi, a flagship forum organized by Tamkeen in association with the Aspen Institute, and the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convened a session of UAE Rhodes Scholars alongside leaders from civil society and business community. President Bill Clinton, 42nd President of the United States and Board Chair, Clinton Foundation, led the session which examined how emerging leaders can most effectively build partnerships and take action on urgent issues facing our world.
This milestone event, which marks the sixth edition of Ideas Abu Dhabi, celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Rhodes Scholarship for the UAE. Held in partnership with the Clinton Global Initiative, Rhodes Trust, and the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, the event convened 12 UAE Rhodes Scholars, including HH Majida Al Maktoum (UAE Rhodes Scholar 2019), Representative of Dubai Executive Council; Amal Al Gergawi (UAE Rhodes Scholar 2019), Researcher at NYU Abu Dhabi Marine Biology Lab; and Abdulla AlHashmi (UAE Rhodes Scholar 2020), Associate at McKinsey; in the presence of Professor Sir Rick Trainor, Warden of Rhodes House & CEO of Rhodes Trust, and Khulood Khaldoon Al Atiyat, on behalf of the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation.
Moderated by Rima Al Mokarrab, Co-Chair of Ideas Abu Dhabi and Chair of Tamkeen, the discussion explored the essential tools and strategies needed to prepare future leaders for navigating complex global challenges in a new era with vision and purpose.
Addressing UAE Rhodes Scholars, President Clinton said: “Leadership starts with how you see the world, and I personally believe this is the most interdependent age in human history. We need to figure out ways to make prosperity more broadly shared, to make opportunity more broadly shared, and to not categorize people in a way that diminishes their human potential.”
Rima Al Mokarrab said: “We are living in an era of extraordinary change. Advancements in technology, particularly artificial intelligence, are having a transformative impact on business, education, government, and beyond. At the same time, global challenges like climate change, public health, and growing inequality demand solutions that are bold, innovative, and collaborative.
“The Ideas Abu Dhabi forum enables us to come together to explore the pressing matters that define our time, creating space to spark collaboration, foster innovation, and turn dialogue into meaningful action. Against the backdrop of the UAE Rhodes 10-year anniversary, we are privileged to welcome President Bill Clinton – a distinguished Rhodes Scholar and visionary leader – who has dedicated his career to bridging divide. His valuable insights help us better understand the essential tools needed to navigate the complexities of the 21st century,” she added.
The Rhodes Scholarship is a prestigious international award that allows outstanding students to continue their studies at the UK’s University of Oxford. The UAE chapter produced scholars who achieved remarkable milestones, including HE Shamma Al Mazrui, the UAE’s first Emirati Rhodes Scholar, who is currently the UAE’s Minister of Community Empowerment and was previously appointed as the UAE Minister of State for Youth Affairs in February 2016 at the age of 22, making her the world’s youngest cabinet minister at the time of her appointment.
Professor Sir Rick Trainor spoke to the impact of the Rhodes Scholarship, particularly in shaping visionary leaders across the globe: “The Rhodes Trust selects exceptional individuals who come to study at the University of Oxford and join our vibrant global community. We are delighted to celebrate 10 years of welcoming Scholars from the United Arab Emirates through our partnership with the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation. I look forward to the impact that the 2025 Scholars Elect, and those who will follow in future cohorts, will make as they pursue their own journeys of excellence and leadership.”
Angela Migally, Executive Director of the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation which endows the scholarship, said: "Marking its tenth anniversary milestone, the Rhodes Scholarship continues to be an exceptional opportunity for talented students to further develop expertise at one of the world’s most renowned educational institutions. Being a part of such a community enables our scholars to contribute to a better future for our nation and the world. Ten years on, the UAE Rhodes scholarship demonstrates our nation’s commitment to the transformative impact of ethical leadership.”
Since its inception in 2017, Ideas Abu Dhabi has convened over one thousand global leaders to address some of the world's most pressing challenges. The forum continues to position Abu Dhabi as a hub for collaboration and innovation, where diverse perspectives converge to prompt progress. Former speakers have included Bill Gates, Chair of the Gates Foundation; HE Dr. Anwar Gargash, UAE Presidential Diplomatic Advisor; Ray Dalio, Founder of Bridgewater Associates; former UK Prime Ministers Rt Hon David Cameron, Rt Hon Tony Blair and the Rt Hon Gordon Brown; and H.E. Sarah Al Amiri, UAE Minister of Education, among other notable figures.
This edition of Ideas Abu Dhabi builds on a partnership between Tamkeen and CGI to tackle urgent global challenges. At last year’s CGI Annual Meeting, timed to the U.N. General Assembly, Tamkeen and the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court launched an expanded global FoodTech Challenge to provide $2 million in funding to solutions that are addressing food and water scarcity amidst a changing climate.
For more information on Ideas Abu Dhabi, visit www.ideasabudhabi.com
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About Ideas Abu Dhabi:
Ideas Abu Dhabi (IAD) is an international forum dedicated to accelerating progress on critical global challenges through listening, learning, and collaborating. Launched in 2017 and organized by Tamkeen in association with the Aspen Institute, IAD brings together academics, innovators, and policymakers to engage in detailed discussions on a wide range of topics. As an international hub focused on the future, Abu Dhabi provides the ideal setting for leading voices from around the world to convene, connect, and elevate compelling ideas.
About Tamkeen:
Tamkeen is a company that partners with leading local and international institutions to deliver projects that enrich the social, cultural and educational landscape of the UAE.
About Aspen Institute:
The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization that has gained a reputation for gathering diverse, nonpartisan thought-leaders, creatives, scholars and members of the public in order to address some of the world’s most complex problems. Based in Washington D.C., the Institute also has campuses in Aspen, Colorado, and New York City.
About the Clinton Global Initiative:
Founded by President Bill Clinton in 2005, the Clinton Global Initiative is a community of doers representing a broad cross section of society and dedicated to the idea that we can accomplish more together than we can apart. Through CGI’s unique model, more than 10,000 organizations have launched more than 4,100 Commitments to Action — new, specific, and measurable projects and programs – that are making a difference in the lives of more than 500 million people in 180 countries.
About the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation:
The Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation (SHF) is a private not-for-profit foundation committed to the cultivation of a more creative, connected and thriving UAE community. Based in Abu Dhabi, SHF oversees a diverse portfolio of not-for-profit programs and initiatives spanning the arts, culture, heritage, human development and early childhood development in the UAE and internationally. Underpinning SHF’s activities is a common ambition to invest in the knowledge and capabilities of the UAE people in order to support them to unlock their full potential.
About The Rhodes Trust:
The Rhodes Trust, based at the University of Oxford, is an educational charity that forges brighter futures for individuals and the world. We do this through a family of global fellowship programmes. The Rhodes Scholarship is the world’s pre-eminent graduate fellowship, bringing exceptional people of character to the University of Oxford to study. Over 8000 Rhodes Scholars, from more than 50 countries, have gone on to serve at the forefront of education, business, science, medicine, the arts, politics and beyond. Alongside visionary partners around the world, we are proud to be a global family of programmes: the Mandela Rhodes Foundation, Atlantic Institute, Schmidt Science Fellows, Rise, and Oxford Next Horizons.