Four UAE residents have been named among Young Global Leaders (YGLs) for 2011 released by World Economic Forum on Wednesday.Around 200 Young Global Leaders are recongised every year by WEF from around the world for their professional accomplishments, commitment to society and potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world.

Badr Jafar, Executive Director of Crescent Petroleum; Rima Maktabi, Head of Inside the Middle East programme at CNN; Sultan S Al Qassemi, Chairman of Barjeel Geojit Securities; and Ziad Daoud Al Siksek, Chief Executive Officer of Health Authority – Abu Dhabi (Haad) have been named Young Global Leaders by World Economic Forum.

Among other Gulf states, three were nominated from Saudi Arabia and one each from Kuwait and Qatars.

From Saudi Arabia, Loulwa M Bakr, Head of Investment Banking at Credit Suisse; May Al Dabbagh, Director of Gender and Public Policy Programme, Dubai School of Government; and Fahd Al Rasheed, MD and CEO of Emaar the Economic City, were named YGL.

Naif Al Mutawa, founder of The 99 Comics, and Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani, Vice-President Education and Chairman, World Innovation Summit for Education, at Qatar Foundation, were also named  for the Young Global Leaders.

For 2011, the Forum has selected 190 Young Global Leaders from 65 countries and all sectors of society (business, civil society, social entrepreneurs, politics and government, arts and culture, and opinion and media).

The new class represents all regions: East Asia (50), South Asia (18), Europe (42), Middle East and North Africa (13), sub-Saharan Africa (14), North America (37) and Latin America (16). This year’s selection has more gender balance than ever, with 44 per cent women.

“The challenges faced by the next generation of leaders are more daunting and intractable than ever and cannot be mastered with the current set of strategies, institutions, standards and attitudes. To address these challenges in a meaningful and sustainable way requires fresh thinking, multi-stakeholder engagement and dynamic new ways of collaborating to develop innovative solutions that are truly global. Recognising this need, in 2004, I created the foremost platform for young leaders to engage in global affairs to shape a more positive, peaceful and prosperous society. Within the World Economic Forum community, the Young Global Leaders represent the voice for the future and the hopes of the next generation. I am particularly proud of this year's honourees, who make up the most diverse class of YGLs ever,” said Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum.

Drawn from a pool of almost 5,000 candidates, the Young Global Leaders 2011 were chosen by a selection committee chaired by Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan.