Speaker line up sees 50 leading voices confirmed for Dubai Strategy Forum 2002

The line up of speakers for the upcoming Dubai Strategy Forum, scheduled for October 28-30 2002 in Dubai, reads like a ‘Who’s who’ of the world’s economic stage.

Leading the cast of 50-plus is His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defence, who is slated to open the Forum with a 30 minute presentation on his vision for the region under the Forum theme, Creating Networks of Growth”.

He is joined by a host of world government ministers, business leaders, management gurus and vocal media chiefs.

According to Mohammed Al Gergawi, chairman of the Forum’s organising committee, foreign government presence at the Forum includes Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore’s Minister of State for National Development, Minister of Foreign Affairs to Sri Lanka, Tyronne Fernando and Pakistan’s Minister of Finance, Shaukat Aziz.

Aziz and Tyrone are set to deliver a potentially buoyant debate on the need for a revolutionary change in governance. 

The duo will address the issue of government influence on economic development in tandem with leading campaigner for world liberty and democracy, Hernando de Soto.

de Soto alone is known for rocking boats in his drive to make life easier for millions of Peruvians. As best-selling author of The Other Path (1989) and founder/director of Peru's Institute for Liberty and Democracy, he is recognised by many as a champion of market economics and property rights in a part of the world that historically has shown little interest in such ideas.

According to Gergawi, de Soto’s description of market mechanisms and the way they empower people has ramifications beyond the borders of Peru into this very region.

From the global media corps. speakers include Hameed Haroon, chief executive and publisher of Pakistan’s leading house and daily news title, Dawn; Robert Friedman, international editor for Fortune magazine; and Douglas Holmes, editor, E-government News. 

They are all expected – and encouraged, according to Gergawi – to rattle a few cages in their observations on the role of the media in communicating world issues to the general public.

“We are launching a process at the Forum this year. This is a process meant to contribute to a momentum for growth for the countries of the region by creating a framework of open and constructive dialogue, of business-oriented interaction relevant for the 31 countries of the region represented,” said Gergawi.

“This will be done by no-holds-barred exchange, debate and networking, not by dancing around crucial issues.”

Gergawi confirmed that topics will include those that often cause regional governments to turn shy, such as the rights of women, open trading, cross border regulations.

“We will open the Forum to all opinion with a focus on governance, business & economy and technology. We will not turn a blind eye to the challenges that prevail and have, in the past, failed to find there way to the open table.”

He advised that other featured personalities would include assistant secretary general of the United Nations, Rima Khalaf Hunaidi; lead author of the Arab Human Development Report, Nader Fergany; and Stanford University’s distinguished professor, Paul Romer, considered one of the world’s leading economists and the father of ‘the new growth theory’.

In addition, business gurus, Rosabeth Moss Kanter of Havard Business School; Michael Hay of the London Business School and Mohanbir Sawhney of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management will also take the stage, as well as participating in panel discussions.

The global business sector is also expected to display top level representation with top level attendance confirmed by financial and consulting firms Goldman Sachs, Investcorp, Gulf Investment Corporation, Booz Allen Hamilton and PricewaterhouseCoopers, as well as numerous other diversified companies such as UK’s BP, Hong Kong’s Hang Lung Development Company, Egypt’s ARTOC Group and US based Oracle Corporation. 

Gergawi said: “The Dubai Strategy Forum will discuss the impact on the global economy that this region, representing one third of the world’s people and yet dubbed ‘the third world’ by many economists and media, is set to have.”

The region comprises North & East Africa, Central & South Asia, and the Middle East, including the Gulf States.

“It is our responsibility as leaders, whatever our sphere, to play our part in advancing the economies within which we work and live and the Forum is designed to pull opinion and opportunity under one roof,” he continued.

“We believe it is only through cooperation that each country will be able to leverage in an optimum way its own assets and specific advantages.”

He said the Forum stands as an example of the emirate’s appreciation that this region sits on a portion of the world’s GDP that, at just five per cent, or US$1.5 trillion, is positioned for notable growth. He suggested that the countries involved have a responsibility to enhance the region’s collective influence on the global economy.

“Dubai is just the convener; the Forum is a true regional reality that we want to build into a process of integrating ideas and proposals to make it even more useful and relevant to all concerned. It is a meeting for the region, by the region, and will encourage dialogue, discussion, as well as debate, aimed at creating workable strategies geared to our mutual bottom-line success”

He stressed that knowledge sharing by leaders among leaders is key: “The Dubai Strategy Forum 2002 is the linchpin to stir action. The meeting is structured to encourage complete freedom of speech and opinion among the 50 plus speakers, panelists and expected 1,000 delegates.”

The Forum initiative was kicked off last year during the wave of ongoing pioneering steps taken by Dubai’s forward-thinking Crown Prince. In addition to delivering the opening presentation, His Highness will play a key role at the three day meeting, comprising more than 20 sessions and workshops focusing on Governance, Business & Economy and Innovation & Technology. 

On participation, the meeting has already attracted the attention of leading brands, who have committed their support as Organising Partners, helping to steer the Forum in achieving its goals.

These are: Dubai Media City, the rapidly emerging global media hub; ENOC, a leader in upstream and downstream activities in the oil and gas sector; Emirates, the UAE’s national airline; the GCC’s leading English newspaper, Gulf News; National Bank of Dubai, Dubai’s national bank and PricewaterhouseCoopers, the international firm of auditors and business advisors.

In addition, activity sponsors include Booz Allen Hamilton, General Motors, Mashreq Bank, Oracle, Jumeirah Beach Residence and Visa.