Amman - October, 2012

Global Thinkers Forum 2012 (GTF 2012) announces new sponsorship alliances with Qatar Airways,  JOSCO, Umniah, Anna Lindh Foundation, Bidaya Corporate Communications, Yahoo! Digital, U Magazine, Play FM and Ro'ya TV as final preparations are made for the landmark event celebrating the region's leading female thinkers and news makers in Amman, Jordan, October 7-8, 2012.

The conference is being held under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah and is a response to the leading positions some women are now taking across communities in the region, while celebrating the current roles and life stories of successful women leaders across professional and public life.

Confirmed speakers and GTF Award Honourees include: Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, HRH Princess Rym Ali of Jordan, HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, H.E. the British Ambassador to Jordan Mr. Peter Millett, Arianna Huffington, Fadi Ghandour, Deema Bibi, Professor Saskia Sassen, Majd Shweikeh, Dr. Hayat Sindi, Dr. Usama Fayyad, Wael Fakharany, Marianna Vardinoyanni, Professor Safwan Masri, Jumana Twal, Margery Kraus and Reem Bsaiso.

Elizabeth Filippouli, GTF 2012 Founder & CEO, comments: 'Global Thinkers Forum 2012 has become an essential platform for the region and its women leaders. We are delighted to help leading brands who want to show their true colours and demonstrate their responsibility to the community. The Forum also offers rich opportunities for media professionals looking for original stories from the region.'

The CEO of Umniah, Ihab Hinnawi stated: "Umniah's partnership with the GTF 2012 as the Strategic Telecom Partner of the Forum is in line with our commitment to support our community, and to reach out to the different segments in our society. We at Umniah always encourage creativity and innovation, with a particular focus on Women and Young entrepreneurs, and we strive to offer them the right economic and social conditions that will nurture their growth; this forum is an important platform and will definitely contribute to that.

Hinnawi confirmed the importance of the topics that will be discussed during this year's forum driven by its unique umbrella theme. He added: "our society in the Arab region is witnessing pivotal social and economic transformations. Women in general played a significant role and contributed to this change, a topic that is worth discussing while highlighting the positive ramifications of these changes. Women who guided this trend are leaders and have impacted the community without any doubt; we need to reinforce all the tools that have been used by successful, inspiring women to ensure the continuity of this positive transformation."

In turn, Jumana Twal, Founder & CEO of Bidaya Corporate Communications, notes: 'The MENA region has no shortage of strong women leaders; what it lacks is large-scale, visible platforms that are capable of advocating a progressive socio-political stance on women's roles, showcasing inspiring success stories and opening the door for effective peer networking. That is why bellwether events such as GTF 2012 are so important, and we at Bidaya are proud to be involved.'

At a time of change for the region many preconceived ideas are changing across Politics, Governance, Business and Society. GTF promotes the extensive participation of women as a necessary and positive imperative for our world and the creation of just societies.

The Global Thinkers Forum Awards for Excellence in Global Thinking, Leadership, Life, Philanthropy, Media, Innovation, Science, Gender Equality, Cultural Understanding, Entrepreneurship, Positive Change, will also be presented following voting and the deliberations of its Board of Advisors: Chris Cramer, Editor At Large Reuters; Lindsey Oliver, International Commercial Director at Bloomberg; Salim Amin, Chairman of A24 Media; Maggie Eales, Senior Vice President of CNN International; Richard Sambrook, Director of the Centre for Journalism at Cardiff University; and Marc Ventresca, Professor at the University of Oxford.

www.globalthinkersforum.org

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About Global Thinkers Forum
The Global Thinkers Forum (GTF) is a non-profit initiative and a platform to create dialogue and bring current and future leaders together to discuss governance, society, progress and the future. GTF has been created to reposition perceptions about governance through a global perspective. GTF 2012 takes place in Amman, Jordan, (October 6/7/8) and focuses on the role of the modern MENA woman, in the region and globally. This is a turning point for MENA and many preconceived ideas are changing across Politics, Governance, Business and Society. GTF promotes the extensive participation of women as a necessary imperative for our world and the creation of just societies. GTF encourages the participation of young people and welcomes students for free.

Global Thinkers Forum was founded by CEO Elizabeth Filippouli, a Strategy and Development expert and former journalist with CNN International and Al Jazeera English. Elizabeth was educated at the Universities of Athens, London City, Harvard and Oxford.

www.globalthinkersforum.org

For more information contact:
[Tim Warnes tim.warnes@globalthinkers.com and info@globalthinkersforum.org]

About Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways is the national airline of the State of Qatar and one of the aviation industry's big success stories. Operations began in 1994 when the airline was a small regional carrier servicing a handful of routes. The airline was re-launched in 1997 with a vision to turn Qatar Airways into a leading international airline with the highest standards of service and excellence.  Qatar Airways has since become one of the fastest growing carriers in the world with unprecedented expansion averaging double digit growth year on year that industry peers can only admire with envy.

The airline has developed under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker, appointed CEO in 1996, who has been instrumental in turning Qatar Airways into an award-winning carrier and the best in the world. Under Al Baker's stewardship, Qatar Airways has matured into a leading force in regional and global aviation, earning many admirers around the world for its excellent standards of service. In April 2011, Qatar Airways reached a milestone reaching 100 destinations in its global route map. Two months later, the airline achieved a remarkable feat, just 14 years after its relaunch, being named Airline of the Year 2011 at the annual Skytrax World Airline Awards with over 18 million travellers worldwide casting their votes. In July 2012, Qatar Airways was once again named Airline of the Year 2012, holding onto its title for the second consecutive year.  For 2012, Qatar Airways expands its operations to further destinations - Baku (Azerbaijan), Tbilisi (Georgia), Zagreb (Croatia), Perth (Australia), Kigali (Rwanda), Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), Yangon (Myanmar), Baghdad (Iraq), Erbil (Iraq), Maputo (Mozambique) and Belgrade (Serbia).

About Umniah
Umniah :Upon the official launch of its operations on June 26th, 2005, Umniah quickly succeeded in making a strong entrance into one of the region's most highly competitive markets, positioning itself as the most successful operator to enter the Jordanian telecommunications market to date. A driving factor behind Umniah's success is its sound and calculated business strategies and its provision of a comprehensive range of telecom solutions that include advanced mobile, Internet and business solutions services at competitive prices, balancing quality with value for money. Umniah's devotion to serving its subscribers, whom are its first priority, has driven it to keep abreast of the latest market developments and changing needs of various consumer segments. Today Umniah, a subsidiary of Batelco Group, has become Jordan's fastest growing mobile telecom operator with over two million mobile subscribers and over 20,000 broadband subscribers, gaining a significant share of the Jordanian telecom market in record time. Umniah has also been able to expand the Jordanian mobile and Internet market penetration rate through its comprehensive services, supporting the Kingdom's National Agenda.

About Bidaya Corporate Communications
Bidaya Corporate Communications is a Jordan-based public relations (PR) agency founded in 2004 on over 25 years of experience. Specialized in advanced corporate communications, media relations, event management and online PR, Bidaya helps regional market leaders, particularly those in Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and Iraq, address critical communication challenges and cultivate a healthy corporate image. Over the years, Bidaya has emerged as the preferred PR partner to major international, regional and local brands and organizations representing a broad range of sectors. These include the investment, real estate, banking, energy and infrastructure, hospitality and tourism, education, ICT, telecommunication, automotive, pharmaceutical and fast moving goods sectors, among others. Bidaya is the exclusive Levant public relations partner of Edelman, the world's leading independent global PR firm. It is also a member of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) and is the first Jordanian agency to become a full member of the Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA).

www.bidayacorp.com

© Press Release 2012