JEDDAH, 27 February 2008 — Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play a key role in development because of their small size, efficiency and commitment to the causes of the poor, Sheikha Lubna Al-Qasimi, UAE minister of trade, said yesterday.
While speaking at the Jeddah Economic Forum, Al-Qasimi said, “Although the number of NGOs in the region has grown considerably since the middle of the 1990s, their full potential can only be tapped by improving on three essential attributes: autonomy from government, a pro-democracy stance, and coalition-building capability.”
Reacting to Al-Qasimi remarks, Dr. John Sfakianakis, chief economist at SABB, said “although NGOs can form an important pillar for development. But they are not necessarily agents for economic prosperity and democracy.”
Al-Qasimi said the Arab world has experienced impressive social-economic development in recent years, and today, most nations in the Middle East maintain positive growth rates, supported by socio-economic factors that have interacted with civil society, the state, and external influences to propel modernization. The socio-economic dimension has thus emerged as the foundation of regional stability and prosperity. Al-Qasimi said that it is only through collective development that we can secure sustainable regional progress.
She also highlighted that the region has made great strides in advancing human capital development and contributed to a more prosperous Arab economy. “Development cannot be disenfranchised from institutional, social, cultural and political dimensions. It has been proven time and again that improving social conditions ultimately leads to progress, which in turn promotes even better social conditions,” she said.
She added Arab governments have made great strides in formulating human development policies that complement the region’s aggressive industrialization, urbanization and modernization programs, with the aim of nurturing current and future leaders, transforming minds, and enabling people and organizations to optimize their potential.
Al-Qasimi also emphasized education and training to build and fortify human capital resources.
“The Arab world is highly prioritizing education and the expansion of education is one of the highest on a global scale,” Al-Qasimi said, adding, “We must focus on long-term strategies to promote further educational reform, develop effective performance indicators and motivate the private sector to increase its participation in providing educational services.”
She added the Arab world also maintains technical and administrative training programs to hone the skills of its present and future workforce.
Al-Qasimi said there are institutions in Saudi Arabia such as the Royal technical Institute in Riyadh, the Hofuf Technical Training School, and various centers in other cities such as Jeddah, Abha, Madinah, Unayzah, Taif and Dammam.
Sfakianakis said, “It is true that much has been done in the Arab world to reduce the rate of extreme poverty, improve education and healthcare. It is easy to criticize the region but the region has made important strides over the past two decades. More is needed to be done so as not to waste the opportunity the region has today. Much more is needed to be done on female labor force participation which is estimated at around 30 percent and female unemployment is over 20 percent.”
Al-Qasimi also called for the opening of the minds of young people to their pivotal role in changing and forming the Middle East. Several regional initiatives are already under way to encourage citizens to actively participate in their country’s growth.
The Middle East is home to 200 million nationals who are under the age of 25, comprising around 65 percent of the total population and thus making the region one of the fastest growing in the world. “I am proud that our countries continue to plan for progress while maintaining a strong sense of identity, history and ancestry and we are strongly united in our willingness to explore changes that will ensure our positive and vibrant future,” Al-Qasimi.
