New INJAZ Al-Arab Study Reveals Lasting Alumni Impact Across MENA
October26, 2026
What happens after a young person completes a JA learning experience? Across the Middle East and North Africa, thousands of INJAZ alumni are building careers, launching businesses, creating jobs, and giving back to their communities. A new regional study offers compelling evidence of how those early experiences continue to shape their lives.
INJAZ Al-Arab/JA MENA partnered with global consulting firm Oliver Wyman to conduct its first regional Alumni Impact Study, gathering insights from 2,476 alumni across 13 countries. The findings highlight the lasting value of experiential learning in a region where one in four young people faces unemployment.
The results tell a powerful story:
81% of alumni credit INJAZ with shaping their career direction and development.
84% say INJAZ increased their interest in entrepreneurship.
34% say they likely wouldn't have pursued starting a business without their INJAZ experience.
Among the surveyed alumni, 336 run businesses, with 212 reporting that they employ others. Together, these ventures have created approximately 2,000 jobs.
Behind these numbers are young people whose experiences continue to influence their ambitions and achievements. In Kuwait, one alumna describes how her first INJAZ session introduced her to entrepreneurship and inspired her to pursue a future she hadn't previously imagined. In Palestine, an alumnus went from participating in an INJAZ program to leading the INJAZ Palestine Alumni Association, returning to schools and universities to mentor the next generation.
Since 2004, INJAZ Al-Arab has delivered more than 10 million student learning experiences across the region, connecting young people with practical skills, business knowledge, and opportunities to discover their potential.
The new findings offer valuable insights into how those experiences translate into career readiness, entrepreneurship, and economic opportunity. They also reinforce the importance of investing in learning experiences that help young people build thriving communities.
Explore the Alumni Impact Study and hear directly from the young people behind the findings.