The government of Dubai, the second largest emirate of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has partnered with former World Bank President James Wolfensohn to help develop more effective policies and programs, the Gulf News reported on Tuesday.

The partnership, known as the Middle East Youth Research Project, was announced by Mohammed Khalfan Bin Kharbash, minister of state for Financial and Industrial Affairs of the UAE, and Wolfensohn after their meeting.

"The Middle East Youth Research Project is a two-year regional research project seeking to enhance the economic inclusion of youth in the Middle East region and to build better understanding of the causes, manifestations and outcomes of youth economic exclusion," the report quoted a statement as saying.

By creating an alliance of academics, policy makers, the private sector and civil society, the project seeks to help develop more effective policies and programs for creating better employment and economic opportunities for youth in the region, the report added.

Wolfensohn, who served as president of the World Bank from 1995 to 2005, is now chairman of an advisory group -- the Wolfensohn Center for Development at the Brookings Institution.

Source: Xinhua