JEDDAH, 29 June 2007 — The first regional conference on knowledge economy will highlight education and investment in research and development to cope with its growing challenges, Abdullah M. Al-Subyani, president of Dhahran-based Arabian Knowledge Economy Association (AKEA), told a press conference at the Jeddah Hilton yesterday.
The conference will be held here later this year under the auspices of Makkah Governor Prince Khaled Al-Faisal.
“Patent and intellectual property rights are among the challenges that will also be in focus at the two-day first Middle East knowledge Economy Conference and Exhibition scheduled from Oct. 27,” Al-Subyani said.
With the theme “Building a Knowledge-Based Economy in Arab World,” the conference is expected to attract more than 1,000 delegates from the region and around the globe.
Al-Subyani said the event, which will have many exhibitors related to the conference theme, will be a “prestigious” gathering of knowledge economy experts and business leaders. It will bring together international experts and local industry leaders.
There will be several international speakers and practitioners who will provide various perspectives and share their experiences.
The conference will aim to introduce, promote and stress on ways to build a viable and vibrant knowledge-based economy in the region, he said. “The conference program will be designed to engage all participants in addressing the challenges facing the development of knowledge-based economy and identifying ways to grow it,” he said, adding that the registration for the two-day event is open to all who share the professional interest in creating a knowledge economy in the region.
The conference will organize special parallel sessions designed to network entrepreneurs, industry experts and investors to promote and shape innovation and entrepreneurship in several industries including education, hydrocarbon, power and water, the environment, health care and life sciences, information and communication technologies, and real estate and tourism industries.
The conference will also organize post-conference training courses on entrepreneurship, knowledge economy leadership and knowledge sharing, among others.
AKEA, an international association, focuses on learning and education, intellectual capital, innovation, entrepreneurship, youth and children, research and technology, seed capital, and economic growth and sustainability in the Arab World. It was founded by a group of intellectuals and industrialists from several countries including Kuwait, Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, the UAE, Lebanon, Jordan, Germany, India and the United States, aside from the Kingdom.
The goal of its founders is to assist in preparing and enabling individuals and organizations to meet challenges presented by, and to realize the benefits of, the emerging knowledge, technology and global business environment, he added.