Meirc Training & Consulting has launched a major, historic research study in May 2009. The aim of this research project is to investigate the current state of leadership and management development in the Gulf and Northern Arab regions through a study of successful managers and leaders in these regions. Of course, the ultimate benefit of this research is to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in this field.

Over the last 52 years, Meirc Training & Consulting has conducted management research in the Gulf during the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Our vision is to continue this tradition, which we believe will eventually be of great benefit to our clients and to the future organizational leaders in this part of the world.

The plan is to interview a large number of successful managers and supervisors from various industries and sectors in the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), as well as from six Arab countries: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria. These interviews will be conducted face-to-face by our experienced consultants, and each interview will take just over one hour to complete. To ensure complete confidentiality and anonymity, there will be no attempt to identify in the published results the respondents by name. Only the Meirc researchers will have access to the completed interview questionnaire.

The Meirc research project will be directed by our Chairman, Dr. Farid A. Muna, and by Dr. Ziad A. Zennie, both of whom have extensive experience in management research.

The research project has a number of benefits. To list only a few, it will provide direction and have recommendations for:

• the advancement of our knowledge on the crucial topic of leadership in the Middle East
• recruitment practices of potential "successful" leaders to be employed by your organization
• the design and implementation of effective succession planning systems
• talent management and leadership development of high potentials targeted for promotion and / or transfer.