RIYADH, 14 November 2007 -- The 2nd Global Competitiveness Forum (GCF) will be held on Jan. 21-22 next year, Amr Abdullah Al-Dabbagh, governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), announced yesterday.
In a press conference at the SAGIA headquarters, Al-Dabbagh said senior government officials and prominent businessmen from the Kingdom would attend the forum under the theme "Competitiveness as an Engine for Economic Growth." Abdulmohsen Al-Badr, chief executive officer of GCF, was also present.
He said economic experts from the Kingdom and around the world would present papers highlighting the measures adopted by the Kingdom to gain competitive edge in the market. The event will also provide an insight into investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia for local and international companies.
Al-Dabbagh said GCF 2008 would feature a wide array of speakers from the fields of commerce, politics and academia. They will address some pressing international issues with a special focus on improving the investment climate in the context of the global events. "Delegates can expect incisive presentations followed by lively panel discussions and debates involving government officials and private sector executives within the framework of the 10 X 10 target to push the Kingdom among the top 10 countries in terms of investment environment competitiveness by 2010," he added.
Al-Badr said preparations for the forum were under way. "Many local and international business leaders have been invited to participate in GCF 2008." He explained that the forum will be spread over 12 sessions addressing various topics on competitiveness and its impact on global and local economic growth." He said some of the local keynote speakers include Minister of Commerce and Industry Dr. Hashim Yamani, Minister of ICT Mohammed Jamil Mulla, SAGIA Governor Amr Al-Dabbagh, President of King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Suwaiyel and Director General of Saudi Arabian Airlines Khalid Almolhem.
International speakers include Professor Michael Porter from Harvard University, Dr. John Quelch, senior associate dean, Harvard Business School, Professor Stephan Garelli, director IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook, Professor Jane Nelson, senior fellow and director of CSR Initiative, Harvard University and Dr. Amory Lovins, chairman, Rocky Mountain Institute.
Other prominent business leaders include John Chambers, chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems, Alan Boekmann, chairman & CEO, Fluor Company, David Kim, chairman of Daesung Group, Dr. Gro Brundtland, former prime minister of Norway and former director general of the World Health Organization.
GCF 2008 convenes against the background of economic reforms which have enhanced the Kingdom's competitiveness and also improved its ranking. According to "Doing Business Report 2008" released by IFC of the World Bank, the Kingdom ranked among the top in terms of investment environment throughout the Middle East and the Arab World.
Saudi Arabia was placed 23rd out of 178 countries in the 2008 report vis-a-vis 38th in 2007 and 67th out of 135 countries in 2005. Similarly, the Kingdom figured among the top 10 countries in the world in terms of economic reforms between 2006 and 2007, the World Bank said.
According to the Global Competitiveness Report 2007-2008 recently released by the World Economic Forum, Saudi Arabia has been ranked 35th and recognized as the third most stable economy worldwide.
By Javid Hassan
© Arab News 2007
