Emphasizing the need for the private sector to play an increasing role with sustained investments in promoting education, Vice Minister of Education Faisal bin Abdul Rahman bin Muaammar, said: "The private sector must realize that increased and continuous investments in education can ensure its progress and that of the society."

If education is making rapid progress across the Kingdom, it is due to the visionary policies of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. "And it is his policies that are leading to reforms in this vital sector," the minister said while taking part in a panel discussion on education.

The minister said the Ministry of Education (MoE) was aware of the reforms needed in the context of the rapidly changing world. "The MoE is studying what changes could be effected in the present school curriculum," he said. There was a demand voiced by a woman in the audience that the ministry should simplify education by limiting the schooling to nine years instead of 12. "Twelve years of schooling followed by four years of study at college or university is a long period. If the number of years at school is reduced to nine, the students can next take up vocational or technical studies of their interest," he said.

"We are hopeful of the Kingdom making giant strides in education sooner than expected as the king has personally given directions to that effect," the minister said.

Emphasizing the need for the private sector to increasingly invest in education, the minister said: "The more you invest in early education, the more will be returns for the benefit of society." The JEF, opened by Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal on Saturday, discussed many important issues related to the Saudi economy at various sessions over the last three days. They included rebuilding faith in financial institutions, especially after the world was hit by an economic slowdown, the current and future developments regarding energy and the environment,  protectionism in trade and investment, and the all important issue of providing food security.

As was pointed out by Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency Gov. Muhammed Al-Jassar on Sunday, the delegates agreed that the IMF's special drawing rights (SDRs) could not be the anchor of the international monetary system of the future. This is inherent in its definition as a basket of currencies. The SDR is in fact the international reserve instrument of a multiple-currencies system, says Giacomo Luciani, director, Gulf Research Center Foundation, Geneva. Euro has still a long way to go to replace the dollar.

The challenges faced by public health were discussed in the morning session, with five speakers providing an insight into the situation of health care systems in the world. Professor Khaled Al-Kattan, dean of the College of Medicine and acting vice president for development at Al-Faisal University, was the moderator. He said the global economic crisis had not spared even the health sector and its recovery should be of paramount importance.  He wanted the public health infrastructure to be better designed, resourced and funded in order to ensure the system's stability for the future. "Through health promotion and protection, stability will be balanced in the health sector if the two work together," he said. 

Wayne Holden, executive vice president-social, statistical and environmental Sciences at US-based RTI International, said studies of the World Health Organization and other associated agencies show that 70 percent of deaths would be from chronic diseases worldwide in developed and developing countries by 2030. "We will have a significant increase in chronic disease, especially in cancer and cardiology. However, infectious diseases, with the exception of HIV, will decrease," he said.

The session on science and technology that followed reviewed Saudi Arabia's existing status in technology and where it would be by 2020. Prince Turki bin Saud bin Mohammed Al-Saud, vice president for research institutes at the King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), referred to the ongoing plans to put the Kingdom on the world map of science and technology. "By 2025, the Kingdom should become an advanced and industrialized country with funding on a regular basis," he said. 

Abdulaziz O. Sager, chairman of Gulf Research Center, which organized the event, said the challenges faced by the Kingdom and elsewhere in the Gulf in particular were many. "Resistance to change should not be underestimated. Our region should avoid falling into the trap of complacency, comforted by the continuous flow of oil revenue. This, in all likelihood, will continue. However, the business community should join hands with government and engage with renewed enthusiasm in the mighty task of transforming the region to keep pace with globalization."

At the close of the forum, Sager thanked the sponsors and speakers for making it a "big success."