Empowering futures, transforming careers

Our Story

Establishing a distinct presence

ACDA’s journey began with a clear mission: to empower career development professionals and educators in the Arab and MENA regions. By providing a wide range of resources, including insightful publications and pioneering research, ACDA addresses the diverse needs of its members. These resources are meticulously crafted to enhance the capabilities of practitioners, enabling them to deliver impactful services across various professional settings.

In February 2023, ACDA marked a significant milestone with its inaugural appearance at the 1st Arab Career Development Conference in Aswan. This picturesque setting provided a perfect backdrop for a transformative event that promoted cross-cultural exchange and professional growth. The conference highlighted ACDA’s role in fostering inclusivity and amplifying the voices of career development professionals.

About Us
our Mission

A commitment to excellence, crafting our legacy!

The Arab Career Development Association (ACDA) provides professional development, publications, standards, and advocacy to Arab and MENA region practitioners
and educators who inspire and empower individuals to achieve their career and life goals in the Arab world.

mission and vision

Photo gallery – ACDC 2023

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Photo gallery – ACDC 2024

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Testimonials

Hear from our happy clients

3 unforgettable days!
LinkedIn is a professional social media platform I know. But these posts are not for any personal Branding purposes. I am really feeling very touched with all the great souls I got to meet during this conference! What an authentic experience and how down to earth and true to themselves those people are! from organizers, to career practitioners and colleagues to the adorable amazing youth who came all the way over from south of Egypt bearing all the difficulties of the road to attend and learn and build their future! What the potential of people like those would look like if they’re doing this from an early age like that!

I’m out of words seriously, feeling happy and heavy that this short dream came to an end but looking forward to the next year conference hopefully we’ll be able to make it and meet these beautiful powerful souls again❤️❤️

Amira Ezzat

That was a remarkable day for me, to contribute to such an event. I was very happy to see the hall almost full of young practitioners, experienced ones, and youth. Their feedback on my workshop makes me feel thrilled. Thanks to Ahmed Mostafa Kamal, CCSP,CMCS, GCDF,CDFI,JCDC,JCTC, MHF, and to GROWAT for giving me this opportunity.

Emad Helmy

Today is the last day of the Second Arab Conference on Career Development in Alexandria 🇪🇬, which concluded with valuable sessions and important discussions on advancing careers through the private sector and youth employment. It also featured a comprehensive analysis of professional development, offering a fresh perspective on the challenges and opportunities faced by young people.

UNICEF Egypt

The effort and dedication that were put into organizing the conference were truly inspiring, and I was amazed by the wealth of knowledge and expertise shared by the speakers and attendees.

Attending the conference has filled me with a sense of pride and gratitude, knowing that I am part of a community that is committed to advancing career development in the Arab world. It is a privilege to have been a part of this incredible experience, and I look forward to applying the insights and ideas gained from the conference to my work.

Azza ELHayek

It was an honor to sponsor the first Arab Career Development Conference (ACDC), organized by GROWAT.

Held last week, the ACDC brought together experts and practitioners from all over the World, including our own Azza ELHayek and Arijana Radic. Azza and Arijana brought the SkillLab work on accessible career guidance and support in career development to Aswan, Egypt.

SkillLab

Sometimes words cannot describe certain events. In April 2014, I had my first meeting with my teacher, Ahmed Mostafa Kamal, during the training of CCSP, CMCS, GCDF, CDFI, JCDC, JCTC, and MHF professional counselors at the Ministry of Youth. Since that day, his direct and indirect support for me has not stopped, and I was happy to work with him. Until the end of 2017, by implementing some programs, and then working at Alou Company in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was my dream one day to be with him in one event, and I had the honor of participating as a speaker during the first conference for professional development in the Arab world, ACDC, in Aswan, the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Mohamed Hani

Conference

SPEAKERS : ACDC 2025

Ahmed Mostafa Kamal

Muath Bin Hussain

Brian Hutchison

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Ahmed Mostafa Kamal

 

 

Ahmed Mustafa Kamal El Din is a founding partner of GROWAT in Saudi Arabia, Assistant
President of the Professional Development Network – San Jose – California, USA, and
Managing Director for the Middle East and North Africa region.

Key achievements:
• Member and Leader of the National Board for Professional Development in the USA –
International Relations Committee 2020-2023 and Ambassador for the Middle East and
North Africa Region for the Board 2022 .
• Representative of CRG Canada for assessment and measurement tools.
• Consultant for the United Nations Organization – UNICEF .
• Winner of the Merit Award for 2022 and the Best Professional .
Development Expert Award in the World from the National Board for
Professional Development in the USA for 2011, and the Best
International Professional Facilitator Award in the World from the
National Board of Certified Consultants in the USA for 2015.

Professional experience:
• Born and raised in Egypt in Giza Governorate, he took the professional path before
graduating from university, which refined his skills and developed his potential, in
addition to his journey of self-discovery, which has not yet ended.
• He has been involved in the field of information technology for more than two
decades, during which he held several positions, including Information Systems
Consultant in the Office of Experts of the Minister of Finance, then his career path
shifted to the field of professional development to manage the operations of the first
professional development project in the Arab world, which is the establishment of a
vocational guidance and counseling center at the Faculty of Engineering, Cairo
University in 2006.
• He also served as a Professional Development Consultant for the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) from October 2009 to 2018.

Other notable achievements:
• In June 2010, during the annual conference of the National Board for Professional
Development (NCDA) in the USA “the largest institution in this field in the world”,
where he was celebrated as the first representative of this association in the Arab
world.
• In January 2011, Ahmed Mustafa was selected by the National Board for Professional
Development (NCDA) in the USA to be the first Arab to join the leadership
development program in the field of professional development to enable him to lead
and spread this field in the Arab world. This was followed by Ahmed Mustafa being
accredited in February 2011 as a Senior International Trainer for Professional
Development at the global level, and to be the only one with the right to teach and
develop curricula for this field in the Arabic language.
• In early 2014, Ahmed Mustafa was nominated to join the Advisory Council of the National Board of Certified Consultants in the USA to become the first Arab to obtain this membership.
• In May 2015, he was chosen by the National Council of Certified Consultants) in the field of mental health and psychology (in the USA) to be an ambassador for the first international conference in the field of mental health facilitation in North Carolina,
USA. During this conference, he was granted a certificate of registration as a mental health facilitator to be the first Arab to have the right to implement the mental health facilitator program and train trainers on it in the Arab world.
• Ahmed has carried out many development and educational programs for all segments of society and different age groups, which have had a clear impact on
rebuilding a new way of thinking about planning life paths. One of his most famous programs is the Self-Management Art program, in which he teaches a new system of standards and measurements that help to understand personality patterns in addition to multiple lifestyle patterns so that life paths can be planned in accordance with personality patterns. This in addition to programs for preparing certified professional counselors and facilitators from the USA, where more than 1000 guidance and counseling specialists have been trained since October 2009 until January 2020 in many countries.
• In mid-2011, Ahmed Mustafa was chosen to implement the first pilot project to
integrate professional development into the educational system in the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia; from September 2016 to January 2020, he managed the professional development programs for Allow Company in the Kingdom, which implements some of the professional development and scientific content projects for professional development for many government agencies and other sectors in the Kingdom.
GROWAT was established to lead human development programs, projects and
services in the next stage for Arab societies, whether in the Arab world or Western countries.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahmedmostafakamal/

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Muath Bin Hussain

 

Muath Bin Hussain General Manager of GOODAT Consulting Company. Business Consultant and Career Facilitator.

A part-time Lecturer in The Business School at King Fahad University. Certified Career Services Provider and Global Career Development Facilitator Holds two master’s degrees in Business Administration.

Conducted more than 50 courses and bootcamps in Career Development, entrepreneurship, and straregy.

Worked with several organizations in Saudi Arabia managing natioal wide projects such as:- Human Resources Development Fund, Aramco Entrepreneurship Center, and SME Authority .

https://www.linkedin.com/in/muathbinhussain/

Session name : Mental focus by self-awareness

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Mental focus by self-awareness

 

 Goals and Objectives

Reaching mental Focus in life and work by self-awareness

Abstract 

In a world where focus is diminishing, self-awareness can help dramatically. It guides the internal compass to help a person focus on the goals and objectives. It will activate the executive function in the prefrontal cortex

Summary 

In a world where focus is diminishing, self-awareness can help dramatically. It guides the internal compass to help a person focus on the goals and objectives. It will activate the executive function in the prefrontal cortex.

Presenter By : Muath Bin Hussain

Muath Bin Hussain
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Brian Hutchison

 

Brian Hutchison, Ph.D., LPC is Core Faculty of Clinical Mental Health in the School of Counseling at Walden University, USA. Dr. Hutchison received his doctorate degree in Counselor Education & Supervision from Pennsylvania State University and has worked as a career, school, and mental health counselor and clinical supervisor. Known as Global Career Guy he works as an academic, author, counselor, trainer, clinical supervisor, and speaker who focuses on how work and career development impact mental health, well-being, school engagement and social justice.

Brian is a recognized scholar of counseling, mental health, and career development. He has published in 17 different peer reviewed academic journals representing the fields of psychology, counseling, career development, college access, and education. His work is represented in 18 different textbooks by publishers such as Oxford Press, Routledge, Wiley, Jossey-Bass, and Information Age Publishing. His first book was titled International Practices of Career Services, Credentials, and Training, and his second is a high school textbook called School to Career.

Brian’s consultation and education work is designed to impact mental health and career development around the globe. He has spoken, trained, and consulted with people in more than 50 countries. He has led projects in the Philippines, Canada, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, India, and the United States. Most recently he has developed a school career development program in India, provided consultation/developed trainings on depression and suicide prevention in the Philippines, spoken to and interviewed students in Azerbaijan, and been interviewed for a web channel in Pakistan.

To learn more about Brian’s scholarship and global engagement, follow him at :-

https://www.globalcareerguy.com/

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