Former British Prime Minister made a short visit to Bab Rizq Jameel yesterday, during a brief visit to Saudi Arabia.  Bab Rizq Jameel is an initiative of Abdul Latif Jameel Community Services Programs (ALJCSP). On arrival at the center, Mr. Blair was welcomed by Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel President of ALJCSP and Mr. Ibrahim Mohammed Badawood, Director of ALJCSP, who conducted a tour to explain the activities and programs provided by Bab Rizq Jameel.

A short presentation was delivered which highlighted the results achieved by Bab Rizq Jameel, including the training programs, direct employment schemes, productive household projects, small business finance, taxi ownership and truck ownership programs.

Dr. Ibrahim Badawood delivered a presentation which focused on the job creating activities and the results of the various programmes. Since the beginning of this year, a total of 25,000 job opportunities have been created for young job seekers throughout the Kingdom.

At the end of the visit, Mr. Blair expressed his pleasure for being given the opportunity to visit Bab Rizq Jameel and appreciation of the presentation. He also thanked Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel for the invitation and opportunity to meet those associates engaged with the programme, saying that Bab Rizq Jameel is ‘truly inspirational’ and is a project ‘that has the capacity to change the world’.

Mr. Blair served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007.  He was the Labour Party’s longest-serving Prime Minister and the only leader to have taken the party to three consecutive general election victories. On the day he stood down as Prime Minister and MP, he was appointed official Envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East on behalf of the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia.