- HH Mohammed bin Rashid: FIKR conference is a major annual event that brings together Arab intellectuals, thought leaders and innovators
- HH Mohammed bin Rashid: Conference provides effective platform to discuss most important issues in the Arab world
- Held under theme "Job Creation: 80 Million Jobs by 2020 in the Arab World"
- Khalid Al-Faisal discusses challenges affecting the Arab world
- This year's conference discusses pressing issues facing the Arab world, which has profound impact on development
- Unemployment in Arab world represent the highest proportion around the globe, requiring unified efforts to achieve radical positive change
Dubai, December 4, 2013
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, today marked the official opening of the Annual Conference of the Arab Thought Foundation (FIKR 12), being held at The Ritz-Carlton DIFC under the theme: "Job Creation: 80 Million Jobs by 2020 in the Arab World,' on 4 & 5 December, 2013.
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid praised the major annual event, which brings together Arab intellectuals, thought leaders and innovators, and provides a communication platform for them to exchange views on the most important and fundamental concerns of the Arab world.
HH Sheikh Mohammed commended the efforts of His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Al Faisal, Chairman of the Arab Thought Foundation (ATF), an organization with vast experience in launching development, thought and cultural initiative in the Arab world.
HH Sheikh Mohammed welcomed the guests and participants, and called for identifying strategies and action plans that would support the development of the Arab world.
The event was also attended by HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai; HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai;His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Al Faisal, Governor of Makkah Region, Chairman of the Arab Thought Foundation; His Royal Highness Prince Turki Al-Faisal and a number of sheikhs, princes and ministers, presidents and directors of departments and institutions, and a host of local, Arab cultural and media representatives.
His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Al Faisal expressed his gratitude to the United Arab Emirates, led by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and to Dubai, and congratulated HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, on the UAE winning the bid to host the World Expo 2020 in Dubai, for the first time in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia region. He also congratulated the UAE on its 42nd National Day, wishing the UAE government and its people further progress and prosperity.
He recited a poem in which he addressed various issues, such as Islam values and the Arab civilization, to name a few.
The ceremony paid tribute to the deceased FIKR ambassadors, Ibrahim Muthana and Nazih Sanjaqdar, and joined for a moment of silence in solidarity with FIKR's ambassador Hassan Karajeh, who is currently imprisoned in an Israeli jail.
HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal presented to Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, "The Arab Creativity Award" for the project "Dubai Smart City" Initiative, which was launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and has contributed to achieving unprecedented technical and scientific development within the Emirate.
The conference witnessed the participation of 130 Arab intellectuals, thought leaders and innovators, who participate over two days in a number of workshops.
The conference kicked off with an "Experts Session," which was held in partnership with B'huth, under the theme: "A Roadmap for Job Creation in the Arab World". This closed session saw participation from experts and government officials, where they discussed and worked on outlining a roadmap for the development of new business opportunities in the Arab world, in response to the Arab Thought Foundation's initiative. The session was moderated by Mohammed Baharoon, Vice President of B'huth Research Center in the UAE.
Another closed session titled "Media Impact on the Enhancement of the Culture of Labour Societies" was organised in conjunction with the Experts Sessions. It brought together editors and senior journalists of Arabic newspapers to discuss the media's role in job creation in the Arab world. This session was moderated by HE Saad Al Ajmi, a well-known academic and media expert from Kuwait.
Four morning workshops were organised. The first workshop titled "Public Policy Enhancement in the Arab World," was held in partnership with Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University in Beirut (AUB), and was moderated by Hana Al Ghali, Main Coordinator of making policies in the Arab world programme, at the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs.
The second workshop titled "Rethinking Economic Growth Towards Productive and Inclusive Arab Societies," was organized in partnership with the International Labor Organization (ILO), while the third workshop titled "Labor Mobility Policies" was organized in partnership with International Organization for Migration and the fourth workshop titled "Sustainable Job Creation and Talents Retention" was organized in partnership with Accenture and moderated by Mohammed Al Jashi, Human Resources Consultant in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
HE Hamad Al Ammari, Assistant Secretary General of the Arab Thought Foundation, presented the main theme of this year's FIKR conference at the opening ceremony.
This was followed by the unveiling of a report on "Enabling Jobs Creation in the Arab World", during which the pioneering role of Saudi Aramco (Partner Sponsor) in enabling job creation in the Arab world was highlighted. The main plenary session discussed "Enabling Jobs Creation: Whose Responsibility is it?"
-Ends-
The Arab Thought Foundation:
Arab Thought Foundation is an international, independent, non-profit and non-governmental organization; it has neither governmental affiliation nor partisan or sectarian orientations. It strives to support intellect with capital together in order to reinforce pride in the nation constants, principles, values and morals conformingly with the responsible freedom approach. It is involved in different areas of knowledge such as science, medicine, economics, management, media, and literature. It seeks to unite the intellectual and cultural efforts advocating for, promoting and maintaining Arab solidarity and identity.
For further information, please contact:
Nedal Al Asaad / Omar Badran
ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller
Tel: (+971 4) 4507600; Fax: (+971 4) 4358040
E-mail: nedal.alasaad@bm.com, omar.badran@bm.com
© Press Release 2013
