jordan pulse -

The Ministry of Youth, in cooperation with the USAID-funded Youth Development Project, held a meeting on Tuesday to launch a new initiative aimed at strengthening cooperation between the ministry and corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes in the private sector.

The initiative seeks to direct CSR efforts toward impactful, sustainable youth development priorities, with a focus on economic empowerment. The meeting was attended by CSR directors and representatives from leading private sector institutions.

Secretary-General of the Ministry, Dr. Mazen Abu Al-Buqour, stressed that empowering youth economically is a national priority and a shared responsibility that requires unified efforts and integrated resources. He highlighted the importance of investing in youth potential through structured CSR programmes aligned with sustainable development goals.

Abu Al-Buqour called for data-driven partnerships built on clear priority maps focusing on vocational training, entrepreneurship support, and digital skills development aligned with market needs. He also urged directing CSR initiatives towards supporting youth-led projects in underserved areas, and investing in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, smart agriculture, e-commerce, and cybersecurity.

Reema Al-Qaisi, Executive Director of the Youth Development Project, affirmed the government’s belief in public-private collaboration and the importance of institutionalising partnerships to ensure consistent youth engagement, particularly in marginalised communities where the ministry maintains strong local trust.

During the meeting, several private sector representatives presented their CSR efforts:

Rula Nasrawin, CSR Director at Umniah, said the company focuses on four pillars: education, health, youth and sports, and volunteering, and aims to establish a real partnership with the ministry.

Rand Zaiter, Executive Director of CSR at Bank Al Etihad, noted the bank supports youth in building sustainable businesses and improving financial literacy.

Alice Mousa, CSR Director at PwC, explained the firm trains youth for the labour market in cooperation with the Crown Prince Foundation and the ministry, with a focus on remote regions.

Randy Abdeen, Director General of the Elia Nuqul Foundation, emphasised supporting education in remote areas and equipping youth with life, tech, and language skills for employability.

Ahmad Ibrahim, Head of Entrepreneurship at Zain Jordan, noted the company's support for education, language learning, youth empowerment, and startups.

Sevan Jaghmughian, Senior HR Business Partner at Aramex, said the company runs entrepreneurship training programmes in partnership with universities and views volunteerism as central to its strategy.

Samer Makhlouf, Advisor to the Tawfeeq & Na’ma Fakhoury Initiative (Bank of Jordan), highlighted projects that support economic skills, agriculture, handicrafts, and humanitarian initiatives.

Tuline Barto, CEO of Marketing & Corporate Communication at Capital Bank, underlined the bank’s focus on entrepreneurship, youth and women empowerment, and environmental initiatives.

Mona Zaqsaw, representing the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation, pointed to efforts in aligning academic programmes with market demands through university partnerships.

Hashem Ayoub, Head of Partnerships at Orange Jordan, said the company supports youth employment, entrepreneurship, and economic independence.


Capital Bank also presented a pilot training programme targeting youth, covering topics such as financial literacy and CV writing, to be delivered through ministry-affiliated youth centres in cooperation with the Youth Development Project.

The meeting concluded with agreement on launching a communication platform to exchange information, institutionalise CSR initiatives, and implement further pilot projects in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth.