An international forum in Morocco of leaders from countries around the Atlantic basin has bestowed a leadership accolade upon one of Bermuda’s representatives abroad.

Aliyyah Ahad, the director and European Union representative at the Bermuda Government’s Brussels Office, was chosen as a 2025 Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leader at the annual conference, marked by talks on topics of regional and global interest.

A government spokeswoman said participants at the fully funded leadership programme engaged in workshops, debates, site visits and collaborative exchanges with experts on topics ranging from strategic communications and forecasting to scenario planning and design thinking.

Ms Ahad, who was selected from more than 1,900 applicants, was one of 42 emerging change-makers representing 27 nationalities at the gathering in Rabat, capital of the North African state, from December 8 to 13.

The Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leaders programme is organised by the Policy Centre for the New South under the patronage of King Mohammed VI of Morocco.

The spokeswoman said: “The conference serves as a meeting point for the four Atlantic continents and provides a platform to build bridges and address issues of regional and global importance.

“Speakers included current and former presidents, prime ministers, foreign ministers, ambassadors and leaders from civil society and academia.”

Ms Ahad was one of four emerging leader participants elected by her peers to take part in the Atlantic Dialogues closing panel, “Wider Atlantic Challenges Viewed by Emerging Leaders”.

Ms Ahad said she was “deeply grateful to the Policy Centre for the New South and the Adel programme for the opportunity to connect with and learn from inspiring leaders and experts from across the Atlantic Basin”.

She added: “It was extremely valuable to have a space for reimagining and broadening traditional transatlantic dialogues, and to explore how we can create agile coalitions of the willing — including overseas territories, cities, regions, civil society and the private sector to address the world’s most pressing challenges.

“I look forward to applying these new tools, networks and perspectives in my work.”