A new programme designed to develop management and leadership skills for business leaders in Arab and Muslim countries has taken an alternative approach to relaying important business techniques to its participants. The Programme for Advanced Leadership and Management, or PALM, has been designed by a Saudi Arabia college to develop intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual relations in the Middle East business sector.

"For the first time, we tried to design and deliver an executive programme which addresses the mind, body, heart and soul," says Dr Mohamed Moustafa Mahmoud, of the Madinah Institute for Leadership and Entrepreneurship, MILE, host of the two-week event.

"Mixing activities that address the four areas resulted in unexpected outcomes. Some of the bosses and spouses of the some of the participants expressed to me the dramatic changes that participants experienced."

MILE is located in Madinah in Saudi Arabia and its first PALM programme featured business leaders, university professors, management consultants, professional trainers and practitioners from around the world, including US, Europe, South America and the Middle East to teach participants.

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From a pool of 150 applicants, 60 participants from a wide range of business backgrounds were chosen.

"It was a very 'complete' experience. It was very holistic, and much more than just academia. I had the privilege to be with an elite group of people," says Abdul Hadi Chalak, one of the participants and a manager at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon.

MILE is a non-profit organisation that aims to provide top quality, affordable executive development programmes that are tailored to the local needs of senior executives in Arab and Muslim countries.

The next PALM meeting will be in October and MILE also plans to develop and offer more specialised PALM courses for other industry sectors such as health care, financial institutions, government.