The Middle East Leadership Academy (Mela), sponsored by QLC and Qatar Shell, has launched its fifth programme in Doha in the presence of more than 40 participants from the government and private sectors. From today until March 16, participants at Mela will share ideas and best practices for personal and professional development.

The event started with a workshop titled ‘Leaders Developing Leaders’ at The Ritz-Carlton Doha on Monday and hosted by HE Dr Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali al-Thani, board member and managing director of Qatar Leadership Centre (QLC), and Wael Sawan, managing director and chairman of Qatar Shell. The workshop was attended by a large number of senior officials from Qatari institutions and companies.

QLC, an initiative of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, identifies and nurtures the leadership skills of Qataris in order to advance the achievement of national goals aimed at 2030 and beyond.

Dr al-Thani and Sawan spoke about their experience in identifying potential leaders, building leadership values and creating corporate structures to encourage the cultivation of young professionals. Afterwards, the attendees and participants showed a high level of engagement with the speakers.

“The ‘Leaders Developing Leaders’ seminar leverages our combined expertise for the overall benefit of our societies and economies. Mela will show what can be accomplished when organisations collaborate to provide opportunities for talented professionals to refine their skills,” said Dr al-Thani.

“Qatar continues to make enormous strides in its development outlined by Qatar National Vision 2030. It is an honour for Qatar Shell to be a contributing partner in this journey to help realise the aspirations of Qataris through initiatives and alliances with institutions across the country,” said Sawan. 

Dr al-Thani urged the participants to focus on identifying and encouraging future leaders and on providing them with the necessary resources to succeed. Sawan recounted examples of the partnerships Shell has forged in Qatar and suggested that this model be emulated across the region. Both Dr al-Thani and Sawan stressed the importance of building human resources through education, enrichment of experiences and career opportunities.

“Mela is developing promising leaders within the private and public sectors in the Middle East to elevate the quality of life of the people of the region,” said Michael Kouly, president of Mela.

Mela brings together 40 accomplished executives from the Arab world for a programme designed to enhance their leadership and decision-making capabilities.