6-7 April 2019, Dead Sea, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) ended with a call for its stakeholders to increase collaboration on social, economic and climate issues. It should help the region “punch at its weight” instead of below it, co-chairs of the meeting said in the closing plenary.
The co-chairs of this year’s meeting were: Khalid Al Rumaihi, Chief Executive, Bahrain Economic Development Board, Bahrain; Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment of the United Arab Emirates; Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of Tourism of Egypt; Alain Bejjani, Chief Executive Officer, Majid Al Futtaim Holding, United Arab Emirates; Wafa Ben-Hassine, MENA Policy Counsel, Access Now, USA; Sumantra Chakrabarti, President, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), London; Tony F. Chan, President, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia; and Sigrid Kaag, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Netherlands.
The 100 most promising start-ups of the Arab world participated in the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa and engaged with industry and government leaders to discuss the future of their industries and how to add value to society.
Their tailored programme included sessions on social impact, cyber security and an informal dialogue between Khalid al Rumaihi, Chief Executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board, HH Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, as well as Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum. The initiative aimed at further integrating the Arab world’s most promising start-up entrepreneurs into a national and regional dialogue on pressing challenges.
The World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa took place in partnership with the King Abdullah II Fund for Development (KAFD). The meeting marks the 10th hosted by Jordan since it was first convened at the Dead Sea in 2003. It brought together more than 1,000 government, business and civil society leaders from over 50 countries.
For further information:
https://www.weforum.org/press/2019/04/world-economic-forum-on-middle-east-and-north-africa-urges-leaders-to-develop-full-potential-of-the-region-through-collaboration
