Mr. Tony Blair, the international Middle East envoy, visited the University today to discuss the preparations for the investment conference in the North of West Bank.  The investment conference will be held later this year at An-Najah National University in Nablus to try to boost the Palestinian economy.  The conference is part of an effort to bolster the Palestinian economy in the North of West Bank and it is expected to draw about 100 Arab investors, mainly Palestinians living abroad, as well as some 350 local investors.
On arrival, Mr. Blair was received by H.E. Salah Al-Masri, Chair of University's Board of Trustees, Prof. Rami Hamdallah, University's President, and University President’s Assistant for International Relations.  During the visit, Mr. Blair met with businesspeople from the North of West Bank to prepare the ground for the forthcoming investment conference in November.  The meeting was also attended by the Governor of Nablus, Dr. Jamal Muhesin. 

In his welcoming remarks, President Hamdallah said that Mr. Blair has an important role to promote the Palestinian economic development and rebuild the institutions of the Palestinian National Authority.  He praised Mr. Blair’s intervention which helped the passage for Palestinians through some checkpoints in the area of Nablus.

Prof. Hamdallah also highlighted the invaluable role that An-Najah plays in saving the national economy which lies within three conduits.  First, through the admission of thousands of students to this national University, a remarkable input of 3 billion USD is being saved in favor of national economy.  Second, through recruitment of thousands of academic and administrative staff. Third, through securing job opportunities to Palestinian graduates, and also by outsourcing services to the local community.

“Our University created life and hope at times of despair in this city and area.  Our experience is a Palestinian story of success,” Prof. Hamdallah noted.  Nablus, once Palestine’s commercial center, it was hard hit by Israeli travel restrictions during the second Intifada.

President Hamdallah said that An-Najah is molding young Palestinian leaders that will represent the Palestinian people positively and guide the country through turbulent times.  “At An- Najah we are always striving for improvement and academic excellence,” he added.During the meeting, a short documentary designed to give a general understanding of An-Najah" its mission, its programs and its students was presented.In a press conference following the meeting, Prof. Hamdallah said that the forthcoming investment conference promises to be an important event in the north of West Bank which has been terribly affected by the Israeli occupation’s measures since the year 2000.

“An-Najah will offer its full support, expertise, and facilities and will be working hard with all concerned parties to make the conference a great success.  It is our sincere hope that the conference will be a chance to make a difference in peoples’ lives in the area through embarking on many serious and promising investment opportunities,” President Hamdallah said.
Mr. Blair said that there is a real willingness of people to come and invest here. “After years of downward spiral, the situation stopped going down in the West Bank, it started to go back up again, but not nearly fast enough” he added.   Mr. Blair expressed his admiration of what have been achieved and the level of education and creativity offered by the University in very years since its inception.