The World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa will be held at the Dead Sea in Jordan, starting on Thursday.
With the full support and presence of King Abdullah II and Queen Rania Al Abdullah, this year’s meeting marks the Forum’s ninth meeting in Jordan and the 16th meeting in the region.
As the region is facing a double challenge of security and macro-economic uncertainty, the theme of the meeting – Creating a Regional Framework for Prosperity and Peace through Public-Private Cooperation – reflects the Forum’s belief that both need to be addressed simultaneously, a statement said.
The Forum’s programme for Jordan has evolved around inclusive growth, competitiveness, youth unemployment, energy and infrastructure in the region.
The countering of violent extremism and the dire situation of refugees and internally displaced people in several countries of the region will also be an integral part of the agenda, including several working groups and sessions as well as the closing plenary.
The Forum meeting will also offer an opportunity for decision-makers across sectors to discuss these issues that will determine the region’s future, the statement said.
In the context of challenging regional conflict, ongoing consensus building within national borders and recent elections shaping the region’s way forward, leaders will meet to identify pathways for collaboration to drive growth and cooperation, it added.
“The future economic health of the Middle East and North Africa is intricately linked to the security situation and vice versa. Only by addressing the underlying challenges of inclusive growth, infrastructure and human capital and by helping the large numbers of displaced people can we hope to succeed in building a safe and prosperous future,” said Miroslav Dusek, senior director and head of Middle East and North Africa at the World Economic Forum.
The Co-Chairs of the meeting are: Omar K Alghanim, CEO, Alghanim Industries, Kuwait; Gordon Brown, chair, World Economic Forum Global Strategic Infrastructure Initiative and former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; Suma Chakrabarti, president, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), London; Bodour Al Qasimi, chairperson, Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq),UAE; and John Rice, vice-chairman, GE, Hong Kong.
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