Prince Faisal to Join Arab Ministers at ASF

DUBAI, 18 October 2006 -- Prince Faisal ibn Salman, the chairman of the Saudi Research and Marketing Group, will co-chair the 4th Arab Strategy Forum (ASF), the forum's organizing committee announced yesterday.

The ASF, scheduled for Dec. 4-6 in Dubai, will gather 500 influential leaders from business, government and civil society inside and outside the Arab world.

Prince Faisal will co-chair the event with UAE Economy Minister Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al-Qassimi, Egyptian Finance Minister Yousef Boutros Ghali, SABIC vice chairman and CEO Mohammed ibn Hamad Al-Madhi, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al-Baker and Maha Al-Ghunaim, vice chairman and managing director of Global Investment House.

"The induction of such a high-profile panel of top government and business leaders from the Arab world as ASF co-chairs clearly demonstrates the level of sophistication and significance that the event now commands," said Nabil Al-Yousuf, vice-chairman of the ASF Organizing Committee.

The ASF co-chairs will coordinate with regional and global leaders to exchange ideas about launching initiatives and development programs in Arab world.

The role of the ASF co-chairs includes representing the organization at international events around the world. They will also host a specialized media forum and lead key discussions at the ASF.

Focusing on four distinct tracks -- governance, the CEO agenda, Arab society and socioeconomic issues -- the ASF has become a holistic, interactive medium fostering change and innovation.

ASF 2006 will be held under the support of Sheikh Mohammed ibn Rashid Al-Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai.

By K.T. Abdurabb