Arab Learning Initiative

Arab Learning Initiative describes itself as a non profit 'venture philanthropy' organisation.

People

Arab Learning Initiative currently has three trustees: Tarek Ben Halim, Laila Iskander and Julia Middleton. Below is a brief about each one of them.

Tarek M. Ben Halim is Trustee and founder of ALI. Between 1980 and 2003 Mr. Ben Halim worked at Goldman Sachs; JP Morgan and Credit Suisse First Boston. Currently Mr. Ben Halim is a non-Executive Director of the MAF Group in Dubai, an Advisor to BP and Goldman Sachs. He is a Trustee of Common Purpose International. Mr. Ben Halim received an MBA from Harvard University and a BSc from Warwick University.

Julia Middleton is Trustee of ALI and the Founder and Chief Executive of Common Purpose; an organisation which aims to improve the way society works by increasing the number of informed individuals who are actively involved in shaping the future of the area in which they live and work. Besides operating in the UK, Common Purpose international has expanded to work in Sweden, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands and South Africa and is currently developing programmes in India. She is trustee of the Impetus Trust.

Laila Iskandar is Trustee of ALI and Managing Director of Community and Institutional Development, a company providing services such as consulting, training and research to non-governmental, governmental and business organisations. She is founder and member of several organisations in Egypt, and is especially renowned for her work to empower and improve the livelihoods of women in the garbage collectors' community in Cairo.