Prominent Philanthropist and Businessman H.E. Sheikh Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber Made Senator of MODUL University

LONDON, October 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

- Role as founder recognised by the naming of the university's great hall -

Prominent UK philanthropist His Excellency Sheikh Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber, has been awarded a Senatorship by MODUL University in recognition of his longstanding support for education, cultural dialogue, peace and human rights.

Patron of London-registered charity the MBI Al Jaber Foundation, Sheikh Mohamed has led efforts to build bridges between the Middle East and the wider world for more than two decades, using education as the catalyst for change and promoting peace through cultural dialogue. The MBI Foundation's global scholarship programme gives promising students from the Arab world a chance to continue their higher education in some of the world's best academic institutions, including MODUL, the internationally renowned university in Vienna that focuses on the hospitality trade, public governance and sustainable development.

Conferring the award of Senator of MODUL University on His Excellency Sheikh Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber, President of MODUL University Professor Karl Wober said: "Our University is breaking new ground, as the title of Senator 'the highest award conferred by MODUL University' is being awarded for the first time. His Excellency was among the first to support MODUL University and his activities are congruent not only with the academic and cultural visions of the University, but with deeper undercurrents of humanism and philanthropy in history as well. Without the crucial role played by His Excellency and the MBI Foundation during the founding phase of the university in 2007, this project might never have taken off."

Professor Wober also shared a statement by Fahmia Al Fotih, a young female Yemeni who is amongst the many hundreds of young people from across the Middle East who have studied with the help of the MBI Foundation. "This statement shows how much His Excellency's intent of enabling people to define their future and MODUL University's values and its slogan 'Expanding Horizons' have in common. Fahmia said, reflecting on her upbringing: 'Girls traditionally had to focus on their "natural and main duties" that would prepare them to be good housewives. Therefore, as a child, I never imagined a world existed beyond my small village or that one day I would go beyond the borders of my country!'"

Mohamed Ahmed Yehia from Egypt was one of the first students to benefit from the MODUL scholarship programme, and today holds a prominent role within the Egyptian tourism ministry as Cabinet Member of the Tourism Minister.

Mohamed said: "The scholarship made my studies at MODUL possible. It opened my eyes to a wider world, and the contacts I made through it have proven invaluable in my career. Tourism is crucial to the Egyptian economy, with millions of jobs depending upon those who come to enjoy the cultural heritage of Egypt and the natural wonders of the Red Sea. Now we are promoting Egypt through our Papyrus festival and new YouTube channel. These initiatives are based on ideas I developed while at MODUL University, and are helping to change perceptions of the Middle East for the better. The scholarships provided by Sheikh Mohamed over the last two decades, particularly those within the hospitality industry, will help rebuild that cultural dialogue through education and through the forging of commercial links."

"I am very pleased to receive this honour from MODUL," said H.E. Sheikh Mohamed. "Yet my greatest satisfaction comes from seeing the rewards that investing in the education of young people can yield. Every life - regardless of background or gender - has equal value. Everyone should have the freedom and opportunity to shape their own destiny. To be in the privileged position where I am able to give something back is, for me, perhaps the single most important measure of success."

Notes to the Editor

About Sheikh Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber

His Excellency, Sheikh Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber is a self-made Arab entrepreneur and philanthropist who has successfully built an international business empire spanning Europe and the Middle East. He is founder, Chairman and CEO of the MBI Group, which has assets valued in excess of $9bn. The Group is a worldwide investment institution operating in the hospitality, real estate, finance, oil and gas and food industries. Over the past thirty years, MBI International's subsidiaries have grown into major international concerns.

About the MBI Al Jaber Foundation

The MBI Al Jaber Foundation is a British registered charity based in London. It is focused on building bridges between the Middle East and the wider world through education, cultural dialogue and exchange, and good governance. The Foundation grew out of a scholarship programme developed in conjunction with the London Middle East Institute, School of Oriental and African Studies, of which Sheikh Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber is founding donor and patron. It has expanded to include programmes at elite universities in Europe and beyond, and has developed partnerships with likeminded organisations working in the fields of education, cultural dialogue and good governance. The Foundation invests millions of pounds in a broad range of education projects; from individual scholarships to international education programmes that reach students from all Arab countries. Partners include: the American Universities of Cairo and Beirut, University College London, the University of Oxford, University of Westminster and other prominent educational establishments throughout the world. In addition, numerous projects at high profile universities are supported by the Foundation across Europe and the Middle East. http://www.mbifoundation.com

Information about the MODUL University Vienna

The MODUL University Vienna, the international private university of the Chamber of Commerce Wien, co-founded by Sheikh Mohamed, offers scholarship programmes (BBA, BSc, MSc, MBA and PhD programmes) in the fields of international economy and management, new media technology, public administration and sustainable development as well as tourism, hotel and service management. Since opening, to spring 2013, 500 students from 70 nations study on the Wiener Kahlenberg.