DUBAI, Dec 4 (KUNA) -- Prominent Arab officials attending the 4th Annual Arab Strategy Forum (ASF) that kicked off here earlier Monday, called for pushing forward the process of change and economic diversity in the Arab world.
They also urged for devising the strategies that secure the development of human workforce potentials to address the current and future challenges in the Arab world.
Among those attending the forum are Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammad bin Rashed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Executive Council and Dr. Ahmed Nazif, Prime Minister of Egypt and Lakhdar Brahimi, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General.
Held under the theme "Creating Opportunity from Change", the event will continue until 6 December.
In his opening address Egypt's Prime Minister Nazif said that without a resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict, stability and economic development, in the Middle East, would be adversely affected.
Highlighting the most pressing challenges facing change in the Arab World, Dr. Nazif highlighted six components of the future regional development agenda, citing the resolution of the Palestinian conflict as the core solution for the alleviation of tension in the Middle East.
Dr. Nazif said: "The Arab region is subject to numerous political problems, in Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon and Sudan. At the start of the 21st century, the region still lacks the most essential human right, to live in a peaceful, stable homeland.
"There is a definite connection between peace and stability and economic development. However, we cannot wait for peace, neither can we assume that development will establish peace."
UAE Minister of Economy Sheikha Lubna Al-Qasimi said that diversifying the economic structure is the prime mover of the development process. This is in addition to the dire need for creating more labor opportunities that are closely related to upgrading the workforce potentials. She stressed that the prime challenge lies in support for investment in the diverse economic operations.
The plenary session featured a number of speakers, including Akbar Al-Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways, Prince Faisal bin Salman Al Saud, Chairman of Saudi Research and Publishing Company, Yousuf Boutros-Ghali, Egyptian Minister of Finance, Mohammed Al Madhy, Vice-Chairman and CEO of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO of Google and Maha Al Ghunaim, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of Kuwait-based Global Investment House.
The ASF, which has attracted more than 600 distinguished participants and 115 worldwide speakers, is a vehicle for change and a key driver in the reform and policy shaping of governmental and business organizations throughout the Arab world. (pickup previous)
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