Majid Al-Kassabi said at least 42 local, regional and international economic, political and public personalities would speak at the three-day event, which takes place March 19-22 at the Jeddah Hilton Hotel with the theme of “A 21st Century Transformation: The Impact of Global Forces.”
“The forum is primarily an economic event not a political one,” he said.
The chairman refuted accusations that most of the speakers might talk about issues not of concern to the Kingdom and focus on their own countries. He said the old concepts of local economies have changed with the advent of globalization.
Al-Kassabi was talking at a press conference held at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industry (JCCI).
He said the forum would be held under the patronage of Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal.
“The participants include a select group of local and international economists, social, and cultural thinkers along with elite politicians and world leaders, ministers and academics who will enrich the forum with their experiences.”
According to Al-Kassabi, keynote speakers will include, among others, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Nelson Mattos, vice president of product management and engineering for Google in Europe, Middle East and Africa.
According to the chairman, the first session will focus on the phases of global transformation.
He added that the panel would discuss how global forces are likely to shape the world in the next five to 10 years and explore how they will affect the region’s economy.
On the same day, the forum will also be looking at the world’s best economic transitions.
The future of public-private partnerships will be addressed during the third session the same day, followed by one on global leaders’ dialogue.
The latter discussion will emphasize that governments, domestically and internationally, need to become more sophisticated regulators of markets and be more innovative in partnering with private and nonprofit organizations to deliver productivity improvements or social outcomes. The panel will look into how government can work with the private sector to create positive change.
Day two will focus on shaping the Kingdom’s future and harnessing the potential of the Saudi economy.
The first session for the day, focusing on prosperous citizenship, will debate on how to build a stable and prosperous middle class in the Kingdom.
The following session on the productivity imperative will stress on leveraging technology to meet the Kingdom’s productivity needs and explore the opportunities the country have to increase the productivity of its work force.
Beyond calamities is the focus of the third session of day and speakers will share insights in developing a world-class infrastructure to deal with natural disasters. A panel will explore the opportunities lying ahead of the Kingdom to increase its environmental preparedness.
The overall theme for the third and final day will be “Shaping the Kingdom’s Future Today.”
The first session will focus on pioneering Islamic finance, with the Kingdom at the forefront of the global Islamic financial landscape.
The global Islamic finance sector is now valued at over $1 trillion, but still accounts for only 1 percent of the global financial landscape.
Stakeholder society synergy will be the focal point of discussions at the second session, discussing ways of stimulating collaboration between different segments of the society.
The last session of the forum, entitled “The Cusp of Creativity,” examines regional approaches to addressing regional challenges.
JCCI Chairman Saleh Kamel, who attended the press conference, said: “This year, the forum will allocate part of its income to help support the victims from the recent and tragic Jeddah floods.”
Kamel added that JEF has been a longstanding economic forum in the Kingdom and has been recognized for addressing several of the Kingdom’s challenges along with issues from the global arena.
“The preparations that are under way confirm the continuous success of this annual forum, which is known for its authenticity and innovation in Jeddah, also known as the economic capital of the Kingdom.”
Kassabi added: “The ambition and determination to maintain the superior quality of this forum will continue to shape the eleventh session in 2011. We continuously strive to maintain the forum’s outstanding quality and content, with the support and patronage of Prince Khalid.”
The organizing committee is headed by the likes of JCCI Vice Chairwoman Lama Al-Suleiman and fellow board member Fatin Bandagji.
The Jeddah Economic Forum was first launched in Jeddah in 2000. It came into being as an initiative of the JCCI. It has further promoted the city as a commercial capital of Saudi Arabia and highlighted its role as a major center for finance, trade and economy in the Middle East.
