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"The most important resource of any country is its human capital," noted one of the nineteen business and community leaders from the Untied States who joined us on our Third Annual Journey to the Middle East, which took place on October 4-10. Her comment was in reference to the impressive Middle East Science  Fund, established as part of the King Abdullah II Fund for Development, but the idea of appreciating a country's resource, and the importance of human capital, would serve to be a key theme throughout our entire time in the Middle East. Our trip began with an inaugural dinner in Dubai, where we spent the following two days learning about the unique "nothing is impossible" slogan of the Emirate. Meetings with leading holding companies and financial centers gave us a glimpse into Dubai's attempt to diversify its economy, even in the face of the worldwide financial crisis.
Our next stop was in Abu Dhabi, where we had a fascinating meeting with leaders in sustainable cities. The discussion that ensued accentuated the crucial importance of global - not only national or regional - cooperation in addressing the issues of energy security, climate change, and sustainability. The emphasis throughout these varied meetings was consistently on building bridges - between sectors of the economy, between financial centers, or between governments - and left our group with a better idea of the issues of which we should all be aware.
An invitation to dinner in Abu Dhabi with the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific research further reiterated the necessity of building bridges between the United States and the Arab world. An interesting fact the group learned that night was that 68% of Emiratis enrolled in universities are women. The prominence of women, however, is not universally recognized, as we learned in a dinner meeting at the Dead Sea in Jordan. The Jordanian Minister of Planning explained that we must still focus on the advancement of women, particularly in the educational and professional spheres - in the Middle East and the United States alike. This sentiment was echoed by the female CEO of Orange Telecom in Jordan, who stated that women must work extremely hard to gain respect - which she knows from experience, as the head of a French company in the Middle East, with 500 employees under her! These two prominent women both harked upon the recurring theme of focusing on education.
This emphasis on stimulating education was reinforced further during our meeting with the Middle East Science Fund at the Dead Sea. This award, which offers support for enterprising youth with non-conventional scientific ideas, involves cooperation between students, institutions, and governments - the true embodiment of building bridges of understanding. 
The final day was spent in Petra, the seventh wonder of the world, which was built more than 2000 years ago. The whole group was in awe of this magnificent ancient city carved out of stone - a testament to the history of the region and to the civilizations that have passed through these lands, and a reminder of the bridges that still need to be strengthened.
A Jordan Times article on our group's meeting with their Majesties the King and Queen of Jordan is available here.
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