Arabian Business Magazine has released the 2016 list of 100 Most Influential Young Arabs in the World. The list contained names of inspiring and powerful Arabs under the age of 40 in various fields. Canadian-Palestinian author and journalist Chaker Khazaal came first ahead of 22-year-old Shamma Al Mazrouei, the youngest ever member of the United Arab Emirates cabinet.
Chaker Khazaal, who was awarded Esquire Man of the Year in November 2015, is a former Palestinian refugee who moved to Canada to pursue an education. He was awarded the Global Leader of Tomorrow Award by York University where he graduated in 2009 in International Development Studies. He then began speaking on refugee issues and starred as a presenter in the web reality show Faces of Transformation. Khazaal then wrote his first novel, Confessions of a War Child, that was released in March 2013. The second and third sequel of the novel were released in 2014 and 2015 respectively. This trilogy was inspired by Khazaal's upbringing in a refugee camp, and stories he had collected from trips to conflict zones.
Khazaal also writes articles in the Huffington Post, mainly about refugees and world events.
Arabian Business Magazine states that "The annual ranking reveals the 100 Arabs aged under 40 who are making a significant difference in the world, within their respective fields including science, arts, sport, business and government."
In the top 10 came Hassan Al Thawadi (38), Noura Al Kaabi (37), Bader Al Kharafi (38), Fahad Al Rasheed (38), Saif Abou Zaid (33), Ahmad Belhoul (38) and Sultan Al Qassemi (38).
Khazaal was recently seen photographed with the King of Bahrain, King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, gifting him a copy of his novel. He was also photographed with Prince Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa being awarded by the Kingdom of Bahrain. Following his social media, one can see Khazaal active in conferences, and visits around the world. He was recently a speaker at the International Youth Conference in Bahrain, also interviewing refugees across the Middle East.
Giving a copy of Confessions of a War Child books to His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain. قابلت اليوم ملك البحرين جلالته الملك حمد بن عيسى آل خليفة و أهديته كتابي.
Posted by Chaker Khazaal on Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Khazaal is featured on the cover of Arabian Business Magazine for this week. Click here to view the top 100 Arabs aged under 40.
