The Union sponsored the National Capacity-building workshop, organized by two members of the
Union's Executive Committee, Professor Ype Poortinga, Tilburg University, and Professor
Elizabeth Nair, University of Singapore. Participants from 12 countries attended this workshop,
including delegates from national psychology organizations in Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran,
Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine Authority, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates and
Yemen. Partial funding of the participants' travel expenses and the organization of this workshop
was provided by the American Psychological Foundation, the German Federation of Psychological
Associations and by a private American donor.

Participants of the National Capacity Building Workshop acted immediately to form a Regional
Council of Arab Psychological Associations. This new organization will build on the foundation
of MENA as well as continue the momentum it generated by holding a second conference for this
region in Jordan in 2005.

(Excerpt from the 2003 Annual Report - see http://www.am.org/iupsys/archive/annual-reports/2003-annual-report.pdf